Corruption

Transparency International published its Corruption global rankings. 2015 showed that people working together can succeed in fighting corruption with Greece improving its score.

Bulgaria ranks 69th in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index of Transparency International released on Wednesday.

Bulgaria retained its ranking from 2014, but its score slightly declined from 43 to 41.

Sharing the 69th position with Jamaica, Bulgaria is the most corrupt country among the member states of the EU.

Bulgaria is among the ten EU member states where at least half of all companies say corruption is a problem for them when doing business, a Eurobarometer survey shows. 

In Romania and Greece, the share is 74%, followed by Bulgaria (61%) and Italy (60%).

German magazine Focus published an extensive article on the Greek government claiming it appoints friends and relatives to public job positions stressing that “the new government of Greece had promised to put an end to the old nepotism. But, it seems it continues this practice”.

A move by the Bulgarian government to close down the customs office of Svilengrad, at the border with Turkey, has sparked outrage from officers and municipal councilors in the town.

On the occasion of the International Day against Corruption, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos received on Wednesday the head of Transparency International Greece Konstantinos Bakouros at the presidential mansion.

It’s been almost a decade since the start of the multibillion dollar corruption scandal at Siemens. The German judiciary has long placed ex-Siemens CEO Heinrich von Pierer on file, but now Athens wants the trial of the century to fly open.

Freedom of press and independence of the judiciary are vital for the fight against corruption, stated Transparency International, addressing escalating concerns over detainments of journalism in Turkey.

Turkey needs to be as courageous as neighboring Iran concerning corruption allegations involving governmental officials, the country's main opposition leader said, recalling how Iran has charged Babak Zanjani, an Iranian businessman currently imprisoned in Iran on corruption charges who was connected to Turkey's massive 2013 graft case.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu frequently warns against "luxury, showiness, nepotism and favoritism" in his party and often mentions "being virtuous." Most recently, he has warned his candidates on these matters, asking them to avoid luxury cars and gaudiness during the election campaign.