EU Report Notes Decline in Political Drive Against Corruption in Slovenia
Slovenia has been among the most active of the Central and Eastern European states in the fight against corruption, with a well-developed legal and institutional anti-corruption framework, according to the report released Monday.
"However, recent years appear to have seen a decline in the political drive against corruption, amidst allegations and doubts about the integrity of high-level officials," the summary of the report says.
The Commission recommends to Slovenia to apply dissuasive penalties to elected and appointed officials for when requirements to disclose assets and conflicts of interests are breached and to take further steps to strengthen accountability standards for elected officials.
Slovenia should moreover safeguard the operational independence and resources of anti-corruption bodies and prosecution services specialized in combating financial crime.
It should also develop mechanisms to effectively address corruption risks related to state-owned and state-controlled companies and in public procurement and privatisation procedures, and do more to secure effective supervision of financing of political parties.
Along with the analysis of the situation in each EU member state, the Commission also presented two extensive opinion polls.
More than three quarters of European citizens, and a full 91% of Slovenians, agree that corruption is widespread in their home country. Four percent of Europeans, and 3% of Slovenians, say that they have been asked or expected to pay a bribe in the past year.
The Corruption Prevention Commission, Slovenia's anti-corruption watchdog, said the findings of the report were "expected", stressing it was high time for the holders of power to face up to the problem of systemic corruption.
"Corruption is serious and real and we have come as far as to have all relevant international institutions - the Council of Europe, the OECD and the European Commission - give us a clear reminder of that," the watchdog said on its website.
It stressed that the state can show the strength of commitment by beginning to implement the 15 measures the watchdog's leadership proposed when stepping down in November.
The Interior Ministry meanwhile said that recent decision to put corruption in the focus of the ministry's efforts was confirmed as being the right course by the findings in the report.
As part of measures to bolster efforts in tackling corruption, a total of 75 new hires will be made in the criminal police, while the government will also provide additional funding, the ministry said.
However, Društvo Integriteta - Transparency International Slovenia welcomed the report and pointed to what it called a "traditional lack of political will" to tackle corruption and stressed that efforts rarely go beyond lip service.
It warned that the "devastation of public finances and the deterioration of living standards caused by the numerous corruptive and unethical actions" failed to bring about a turnaround in the way of thinking.
"We still lack the understanding that efforts to eliminate corruption must extend beyond law enforcement agencies and courts. The problem must be addressed with comprehensive measures and in cooperation of all actors in society," the NGO wrote.