‘EU society is corrupt,’ says the majority of EU citizens

74% “increasingly believe corruption is widespread in public institutions”

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2022

Facts4EU.Org unpacks a lengthy, official EU report on corruption and compares to the UK

The results of the official ‘2022 Eurobarometer on Corruption’ are so bad the EU had to bury them in a press release about its enormous ‘Rule of Law’ report, released on Wednesday (13 July 2022).

Corruption can be defined as the abuse of power for private gain. This Eurobarometer survey, running since 2005, was designed to explore the level of corruption perceived and experienced by EU citizens.

Corruption in the EU is a serious concern for its citizens and some of the results are shocking. In this report we have given some comparative numbers for the UK from the 2019 survey report, which was the last one to include the United Kingdom. This report was produced for CIBUK.Org.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

Overall in 2022, 74% of EU citizens believe corruption is widespread in public institutions

Some other results :-

EU27 - “Corruption is widespread in my country” : 68%
UK : 13% (2019)
EU27 – “I personally know someone who has taken a bribe” : 11%
UK : 5% (the lowest in the EU28 in 2019)

[Source: Latest Eurobarometer study, released Wed 13 July 2022.]

How are the EU27 dealing with this problem?

Here is what the EU Commission said in its general statement:

“In some Member States, investigations and prosecutions into corruption cases are lengthy and judgments still lacking, especially in high-level cases. Public officials are subject to asset and interest disclosure obligations in all Member States, but these vary in scope, transparency and accessibility of disclosed information, as well as in the level and effectiveness of verification and enforcement.”
- EU Commission, 13 July 2022

On Wednesday, (Belgian) EU Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, said:

“The EU will only remain credible if we uphold the rule of law at home and if we continue to reinforce the rule of law culture. I am glad to see that our report contributes to this objective. It helps to drive forward important reforms in the Member States.
“Today we are not only reporting on the rule of law situation, but we are also recommending constructive ways to improve justice systems, step up the fight against corruption, and ensure a free and independent media and strong checks and balances.”
- Didier Reynders, EU Commissioner, 13 July 2022

In September 2019 Mr Reynders was being investigated by Belgian prosecutors for corruption and money-laundering.

Days before he was due to appear before the EU Parliament to become the EU Commission's Justice Commissioner, the Belgian authorities dropped the charges. Mr Reynders always denied any wrongdoing.

Some countries are more corrupt than others

As usual – and as we have pointed out in numerous reports on all aspects of the EU – there are wide disparities between member countries. Here are some examples.

“Corruption is widespread in my country”

Greece : 98%
Bulgaria : 88%
Finland : 17%
Denmark : 16%

Observations

The EU and "the Rule of Law"

There seem to be more ‘Eurobarometer’ surveys than you can shake a stick at. They are extensive and costly, involving detailed interviews typically with over 30,000 people.

This particular one is interesting because of the EU’s claim to be based on “the Rule of Law”. It becomes hard to square this claim with the fact that an average of three in four EU citizens believe “corruption is widespread in public institutions”.

Presumably this is why there wasn’t an EU Commission press release specifically about this Eurobarometer, as there have been on so many others.

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[ Sources: EU Commission ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Fri 15 July 2022

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Reader Comments 6

1. LuxuryBalloon , Friday, July 15, 2022, 06:34:

I can understand why 99% of people in Greece think that the EU is corrupt … yet I am surprised that only 16% of people in Denmark think the EU is corrupt.

2. R. Ellison UK , Friday, July 15, 2022, 09:41:

Correction to No. 1 comment above. The sub heading states: 'Corruption is Widespread in MY Country.' and that's where the numbers quoted by Luxury Balloon sits..
These particular statistics do not relate to the EU overall.
I think the UK statistics are low because, again, the British public have been beguiled into thinking we are still a functioning Democracy. They certainly don't get to read about corruption in high places in the censoring Main Stream Media. Has anyone questioned the British Government over its pledged £2.8 Billion to Ukraine (for aid and military equipment) ? Also the Billions of Dollars from the US Biden Administration. Our Government admits there is no accountability and they don't know where exactly the money and goods are going. Lots and lots of donated foreign military equipment is appearing on the Dark Web for sale. on the Black Market, Even, the latest donated American missile launchers (M777 Howitzer) have been sold already to Russia!!!!!! So, it's not only Ukraine that is rife with corruption. Corruption is rife in all walks of life, in many countries.

3. Adam , Friday, July 15, 2022, 09:51:

Regardless of the terminally boring Conservative leadership contest the UK public needs to start demanding real Democratic change do We want another monarch who is very globalist or do We grow up and embrace complete democratic reform a codified written constitution perhaps with term limits of Prime Ministers with a mechanism to remove them for dishonesty e.g Blair and Johnson for example their lies have caught up with them the UK needs a federal system with decentralised Government limited Government and seperation of powers other Commonwealth Nations are federal Canada and Australia for example the House of lords and First past the post should be replaced with an 2nd elected chamber and PR

4. jon livesey , Friday, July 15, 2022, 17:44:

Any time there is a question like this two themes emerge. One is that the UK is corrupt but we just don't know it, which is impossible to answer because it depends on an *absence* of evidence. It's a claim that if you don't see corruption and neither do your fellow citizens, that is just proof that it is carefully concealed - a classic form of conspiracy theory.
The other theme that usually emerges is that somehow the UK system should be changed to conform to whatever hobby-horse the writer wishes to ride. The thing these comments miss is that high corruption countries already have the latest fads - written constitutions, separation of powers, term limits, proportional representation, republican governments, and so on and so forth.
And what that tells you is that corruption doesn't really care about constitutional systems because it depends on personal choices. People who are corrupt are corrupt, and they are not deterred by fancy constitutional frills. So turning a conversation about corruption into one about the constitution is just a case of missing the point.

5. In The Spotlight , Saturday, July 16, 2022, 17:17:

Russian Donations
Source: openDemocracy
Martin Williams & Peter Geoghegan, 9 June 2022
\Quote
" DARK MONEY INVESTIGATIONS: NEWS
Tories have taken £62,000 from Russia-linked donors since war began
The donations include £50,000 from Lubov Chernukhin, who is married to Vladimir Putin’s former deputy finance minister
The Conservative Party has accepted tens of thousands of pounds from donors linked to Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, new filings have shown.
It includes £50,000 from Lubov Chernukhin, who is married to Vladimir Putin’s former deputy finance minister.
Reports say that her husband, Vladimir, had business dealings with oligarchs who are now under UK sanctions and earned up to £42m a year.
Her donation to the Tories came on March 4, just eight days after Russian troops entered Ukraine – and just one day after Boris Johnson pledged to step up sanctions to "starve Putin’s war machine".
It brings Chernukhin's total donations to the Conservative Party and MPs to more than £2.2m since 2012.”
/Quote
Not tot talk yet about the rest of all the money British Politicians are cashing in from the Russians and how much of it went to Nigel Farage and his cohorts. Where is all that money gone???

6. In the Spotlight , Saturday, July 16, 2022, 17:21:

Source: EURACTIV
EURACTIV com with AFP Apr 17, 2015 Richard Desmond, DE
Media tycoon donates £1.5 million to UKIP
---
Source: Business Insider
Adam Payne and Will Martin May 9, 2017
The 21 biggest donors to the Brexit campaign
The campaign received a total of £24.4 million in donations and loans between February 1 and June 23 last year, according to the Sunday Times. £14.9 million of that sum came from five of the nation's richest businessmen.
This included Nigel Farage-ally Arron Banks and Crystal Palace football club co-owner James Hosking.
----
Independent UK
Lizzy Buchan Political Correspondent Thursday 29 August 2019
Brexit Party receives more than £1m in donations amid speculation over snap election
New figures reveal surge in campaign funding in the second quarter of 2019
--
Source: Mirror UK
Mikey SmithWhitehall Correspondent 29 Aug 2019
Nigel Farage's Brexit Party accepts £1 million in big money donations
Nigel Farage is stuffing his election war chest after he vowed to 'wipe out' the Tories in an autumn election
---
Source: The Red Roar 8 SEPTEMBER, 2019
Tax havens, think tanks and private members’ clubs: the super-rich elite funding Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party
New donations data shows that Nigel Farage's Brexit Party has racked up more than £1 million in donations from members of the super-rich elite.
---
Source: Politicshome
Alain Tolhurst 26 November 2019
Former Tory donor gave Brexit Party £3m donation, new figures reveal
---
Source: Electoral Commission 27 February 2020
The 14 political parties that reported donations including public funds between 1 October and 31 December 2019
The Brexit Party £7,150,000

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