About: corruption
Waste and corruption at heart Frugals’ citizen concerns, poll suggests
The way EU money is spent and doubts about its recipients are more of a concern than the actual size of spending for the population of countries traditionally thought of as fiscally conservative, according to a poll conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) think tank.
Back me or put IMF loans at risk, Ukraine’s president warns
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned on Monday (2 November) that foreign aid loans and a visa-free deal with the European Union were under threat if parliament did not restore anti-corruption reforms, saying the country could slide into "bloody chaos".
Ukrainian president plays down impact of court rulings after IMF loan delays
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday (27 October) promised to keep Ukraine's fight against corruption on track after two separate rulings by the constitutional court threatened to derail reforms needed under a $5 billion International Monetary Fund deal.
EPP chief Tusk: ‘Borissov confessed to me, he made obvious mistakes’
The leader of the European People’s Party, Donald Tusk, said the Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov had “confessed" to him about a scandal with leaked photos allegedly revealing his hidden wealth. Tusk revealed no details but said that what he had heard sounded like “a crime movie”.
Tired but defiant: 100 days of protests in Bulgaria
In a hundred days of sweeping and at times violent protests, thousands of Bulgarians have tightened the screws on the political elite -- but this, they say, is only the beginning.
Jourova promises action plan to protect independent journalism
The European Commission (EC) will present by the end of the year an action plan to protect independent journalism, Commission Vice President Věra Jourová announced on Monday (12 October) during the conference "Media Freedom in Bulgaria", organised by EURACTIV Bulgaria.
Mr Weber, where did the European values go?
Dear Mr. Weber, an ordinary Bulgarian citizen is writing to you, professing to believe in classic European values, as also upheld by the European People's Party - EPP. My name is Momchil Daskalov. My son translated this text.
Fraud with agricultural funds in Bulgaria: Will EU prosecutor take notice?
The latest investigative report by EURACTIV Bulgaria journalist Valia Ahchieva has exposed fraud in the use of EU agricultural funds in the country, part of a widespread criminal scheme which she has flagged to the attention of the European Public Prosecutor Laura Kövesi.
Brace for a landmark debate – not only for Bulgaria, but for the EU
On Monday (5 October), the European Parliament will discuss in plenary the Rule of Law in Bulgaria. It may look like an event important mostly for the Bulgarians, but in fact it has a lot of incidence on the EU, writes Radan Kanev
Thousands march calling for Bulgaria government to quit
Thousands of people marched through the Bulgarian capital Sofia on Saturday (3 October) calling for the government to quit, the latest in a series of such protests.
Jourová: Bulgarian government should take the protests very seriously
The European Commission Vice president for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, voiced clear support for the ongoing anti-corruption protests in Bulgaria on Wednesday (30 September), saying that the government of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov should take them “very seriously”.
Corruption puts the future of the European Union at risk
Protests against government corruption have been rocking Bulgaria since August. MEP Daniel Freund, who was in Sofia last week to meet with protesters, shares his impressions.
Ukraine conference flops after controversial judge prompts EU no show
EU policymakers and civil servants cancelled their participation in an online conference dedicated to Ukraine when they learned the day before that a controversial high-ranking judge would sit on the Kyiv panel, EURACTIV has learned.
Ex-Maltese PM’s chief of staff arrested in fraud probe
Maltese police arrested former prime minister Joseph Muscat's chief of staff Keith Schembri Tuesday (22 September), as part of a probe into alleged kickbacks connected to the sale of so-called golden passports.
Ukraine top court deals another blow to anti-corruption bureau
The Constitutional Court of Ukraine struck down several provisions of the law on the Western-backed National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) in the latest blow to the country’s anti-graft drive. Among the parts of the law the court scrapped are...
Von der Leyen: European values are not for sale
In her first State of the Union speech, delivered on Wednesday (16 September), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen positioned herself as a bulwark against the unravelling of EU values that is already underway in many of the member states.
Bulgaria ruling party defiant as protests turn violent
Bulgaria's ruling conservative party on Thursday (3 September) resisted calls for Prime Minister Boyko Borissov's government to resign, after two months of protests against his perceived tolerance of corruption erupted into the most violent day yet.
Major political groups harbour corruption – Greens’ Freund
The major European political groups tolerate corruption and malfeasance among the member parties, says Green MEP Daniel Freund, who also analyses the weaknesses of instruments to fight the misuse of EU funds.
After two months of protests, Bulgaria is on the brink
The protest rally in Sofia on Wednesday (2 September) marked the peak of two months of demonstrations demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev. EURACTIV's Kalina Angelova was there and captured the mood.
Stop funding our mafia, Bulgarians tell EU Commission
'Stop funding our mafia', read banners of a protest in front of the European Commission representation in Sofia on Monday (31 August). It was the 54th day of street protests in which Bulgarians are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and the country's chief prosecutor Ivan Geshev.
European Parliament committee raps Bulgarian authorities over corruption
A secretive European Parliament sub-committee discussed corruption in Bulgaria on Friday (28 August) in the presence of top Bulgarian officials, after more than 50 days of protests in the EU's poorest country. A journalist who took part in the session as a speaker provided insight to EURACTIV into what appears to have been a heated discussion.
Montenegro votes with identity, economy at the fore
Montenegro's pro-West leader is fighting to extend his party's 30-year grip on the EU candidate country on Sunday (30 August) in polls dominated by identity debates and anxiety over a pandemic-hit economy.
Hungary foreign minister: vacation on tycoon’s yacht is ‘my private life’
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó rejected allegations of corruption and calls for his resignation on Tuesday, speaking to the media for the first time after he was photographed aboard the yacht of a government-friendly tycoon more than a week ago.