Twice in the last few weeks (thanks to The Economist and the Global Integrity Report) we have been reminded that corruption in countries in Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is on the rise. The headline of the Economist read ‘corruption has replaced communism as the scourge of Eastern Europe’. This is after much media and public fanfare that many Eastern European countries who joined the EU, and those who are aspiring to join it, were building transparent and accountable institutions and are on their way to full democracies.
However, the record shows that after the transition euphoria, corruption in the former communist countries is on the rise and vigilance is slipping. Several reasons are often cited for this slippage: among others, the long term impact of the financial crisis in the region (see, for example, the recently released paper on the impact of the financial crisis on governance in Eastern Europe and Central Asia). After accession to the EU in 2004 and 2007, countries dropped the ball on the governance requirements. And so on.
This is why UNDP’s democratic governance team is stepping up its efforts to address some of the root causes of corruption in our region. We are working with anticorruption institutions and national organizations to strengthen their ability to address the root causes of corruption. We are also focusing on detection and prevention of corruption through our work with civil society organizations. And we are also starting to explore the role of social media for promoting transparency and supporting anticorruption initiatives.
But we recognize that corruption is a 10 headed cobra and that all sectors and all levels of society – the executive, judiciary, parliament, local authorities, law enforcement, the private sector, the media and ordinary citizens – have to do their part to eradicate the scourge. It’s time to throw down the gauntlet.
Tags: Annie Demirjian, CIS, corruption, Eastern Europe, EU