Transparency International published on Wednesday its latest Corruption Perceptions Index ranking list. Croatia is ranked at the 50th position with 51 points and is no longer considered a corrupt country. The president of Transparency International Croatia Davorka Budimir said that Croatia has improved its score by three points and has crossed the threshold of 50 points, bringing it among the ranks of less corrupt countries. “Progress in the fight against corruption can finally be seen in Croatia”, said Budimir at the presentation of the latest results in front of representatives of government bodies, foreign embassies, and institutions and NGOs engaged in the fight against corruption.
She pointed out that the fight against corruption is crucial not only to ensure the smooth operation of independent public authorities, but also to encourage citizen activism, free them of fear to report corruption and all corrupt practices.
As the most important institution in the fight against corruption, in addition to the State Attorney’s Office and the Office for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime, Budimir pointed out the justice system which should ensure short, fair, honest and timely procedures. “Corruption directly endangers human rights of citizens and their equality, destroys morale and the structure of society and prevents the development of free enterprise. Corruption permeates all segments of society and therefore represents the greatest threat to economic, social and political development and prosperity of Croatia”, said Budimir.
She added that the public should not get the impression that the fight against corruption is part of political calculations. “Declarations of zero tolerance should be converted into action by all political actors whether they are in power or in opposition, because politicians have the greatest responsibility in the protection of Croatian citizens”, concluded Budimir.
According to the Corruption Perceptions Index, which is the most influential indicator of corruption in the world, the least corrupt country in 2015 was Denmark with 91 points, followed by Finland, Sweden, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Norway. The most corrupt countries were Somalia and North Korea with only 8 points.
In the EU, the average value of the Index is 67 points, which means that Croatia is far below the average, but is above the world average of 43 points. Among the EU member states in 2015, the greatest improvement was shown by the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Austria. The biggest drop was recorded by Hungary, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Spain.
