About: corruption
Fight against top-level corruption is needed in Slovakia, says monitoring report
Slovakia should adopt steps to prevent corruption in the government, said a report published on Thursday (22 August) by the Council of Europe, citing 'systemic weaknesses' in the country's legal framework.
Scandals in Kyrgyzstan highlight dubious Chinese business practices
Kyrgyzstan was shaken by a major corruption scandal involving a Chinese company while the country’s capital Bishkek was hosting a ministerial meeting of the five Central Asian countries earlier this month. EU officials told EURACTIV this experience should serve as...
Embattled Czech mogul PM survives confidence vote
Billionaire Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš survived a no-confidence vote early on Thursday (27 June), even as he faces charges of graft, EU concerns over possible conflicts of interest and mass rallies demanding his resignation.
Czechs demand Babis quit in largest protest since communism
Huge crowds flooded central Prague on Sunday (23 June) demanding Prime Minister Andrej Babiš step down over allegations of graft in a protest that organisers and local media claim drew around 250,000 people, making it the largest since the fall of communism in 1989.
Sarkozy to go on trial after final appeal fails
France's former president Nicolas Sarkozy is to go on trial facing charges of corruption and influence peddling after losing his final bid to avert appearing in the dock, sources close to the case said Wednesday (19 June).
Ciolos: Romanian PSD government can only be trusted after it resigns
In an exclusive interview, the former Romanian prime minister and former European Commissioner, Dacian Cioloș, said his newly-formed political force will be able to tap into a reformist wave that will change his country - and help change the EU.
Romania’s controversial socialist leader Dragnea goes to jail
Romania's Supreme Court has decided to send Liviu Dragnea, the powerful president of the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD), to prison for three-and-a-half years over a corruption case involving fake jobs for party workers.
Romanian ruling social-democrats suffer heavy loss
Romania's pro-European parties inflicted a serious defeat on Romania's ruling Social Democrats (PSD) in the European parliament elections Sunday (26 May), according to partial official results.
Romania’s anti-corruption referendum explained
Besides electing their new European Parliament members on Sunday (26 May), Romanians will be taking part in another vote: a referendum which their president says lets voters express their frustration over corruption. President Klaus Iohannis called the referendum over the...
Czechs go to the polls, embattled PM set to win
Czechs will start voting Friday (24 May) in the European Parliament election, with the party of their embattled billionaire prime minister set to win amid expected low turnout and despite protests against his cabinet.
Montenegro PM: ‘We are looking for a new opportunity with the EU’
EU membership candidate Montenegro is carrying "a heavy legacy, plagued with low standards and weak institutions", but it has already made progress and its EU orientation is "clear and strong", its prime minister told EURACTIV Germany in an interview.
European mainstream politicians see hope in downfall of Austrian far right leader
Politicians from Europe's mainstream parties called on voters to stand against the far right, after a video sting brought down the leader of Austria's Freedom Party (FPÖ), hurting the momentum of nationalists days before a European parliamentary election.
#EU2019 – Bulgaria’s Borissov says won’t resign if he loses EU elections
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, who has governed the country with small interruptions for ten years, said on Wednesday (8 May) he will not resign following the European elections. According to opinion polls, Borissov’s GERB party (EPP-affiliated) may lose to his arch-rivals, the socialists.
Montenegro court to deliver verdicts over ‘pro-Russian coup plot’
A Montenegro court is set Thursday (9 May) to deliver verdicts to 14 people accused of planning to violently overthrow the government with Russian help in 2016, an alleged plot whose details remain murky even after a lengthy trial.
Juncker looks back on 15 years of ‘big bang’ EU enlargement
Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker offered interesting comments on present-day leaders of member states from Central Europe, on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the 1 May 2004 accession of 10 countries, known as “the big bang”.
The Juncker Commission won’t lift the monitoring on Bulgaria
Vĕra Jourová, the EU Commissioner for justice, said on Friday (26 April) that the Juncker Commission will not lift the monitoring on Bulgaria under the so-called Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM).
Iohannis: Teach Romanian ruling party a lesson at referendum
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis urged the nation Thursday (25 April) to vote next month in a referendum on judicial reforms, calling it a chance to teach the ruling left-wing social democrats "a lesson".
Flagship study exposes decline of press freedom in Europe
Reporters Without Borders published their flagship annual ‘World Press Freedom Index’ on Thursday (18 April), revealing that worldwide, authoritarian regimes continue to tighten their grip on the media, while in Europe, decline of press freedom goes hand in hand with...
Police recommend indicting Czech PM for fraud
Czech police believe billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babiš should be indicted for alleged involvement in EU subsidy fraud worth two million euros, a spokesman said Wednesday. “The investigation is over and the complete file has been submitted to the state...
Not an April spoof: Comedian races ahead in Ukrainian presidential election
A comedian with no political experience raced ahead in Ukraine’s presidential election on Sunday (31 March), offering a fresh face to voters fed up with entrenched corruption in a country on the frontline of the West’s standoff with Russia.
Serbs keep protesting, opposition and authorities announce mass rallies
Serbian citizens have been protesting for four months, asking the government to ensure media freedom, crack down on corruption and tackle issues like unemployment, poverty, and the young generation's brain-drain. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
EPPO nomination – a ticking time bomb?
The focus throughout Laura Codruța Kövesi’s stewardship of Romania's anti-corruption directorate has been on ‘getting scalps’ rather than on serving justice, writes Norica Nicolai.
Romania indicts Kövesi for a second time while MEPs back her for EU prosecutor
The European Parliament officially backed Romanian magistrate Laura Codruța Kövesi to become the EU’s first-ever top prosecutor on Thursday (7 March), while in Bucharest, she was summoned to court and indicted for a second time.