BiH is among the countries where the state of corruption is deteriorating the most, life-threatening citizens

Corruption Perception Index for 2020 ranks BiH at 111. place of 180 countries, with a score of 35 (scale 0 -100), which is the worst score since 2012. BiH is again ranked among the countries lagging behind the most in the fight against corruption.

Sarajevo, January 28, 2021 – Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2020 ranks Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) among the countries in the world where the state of corruption is deteriorating the most. Noting the decline of BiH by 11 places, the BiH index ranks at 111. place of 180 countries, with a score of 35 (scale 0 -100), which is also the worst score since 2012, when BiH was ranked 72nd. place with a grade of 42.

BiH is worst positioned in the Western Balkans region and shares a place with Northern Macedonia. Slovenia has the best position in the region with a score of 60, followed by Croatia 47, Montenegro 45, Serbia 38 and Kosovo 36. The best-positioned countries globally on the Corruption Perceptions Index are proverbially Denmark, New Zealand, Finland and other Western countries with a high degree of democracy. Countries affected by war, lawlessness and dictatorship are holding the ground, and this year they are Syria, Somalia and South Sudan.

Contextualizing the findings of the index, the pandemic of the COVID 19 virus undoubtedly marked the past year, but also completely exposed the darkest face of corruption, the price of which citizens unfortunately pay with their own lives. Institutions paralyzed by corruption have given priority to the unscrupulous looting of public funds, to the detriment of ensuring adequate health care. The entire period of the pandemic was marked by non-transparent and unresolved procurement of medical equipment.

These, as well as numerous other cases of corruption in which the criminal trail leads to the very top of the government, and which shook the BH public, have not received an epilogue to date, which further undermined the already almost non-existent credibility of the judiciary and public trust. Instead of an uncompromising contribution to solving the problem of corruption, the judiciary has become only the burning and biggest problem of BH society. Politically instrumental, without elementary independence and responsibility, it requires urgent and in-depth reform based on conducting detailed checks of all judicial office holders (vetting) as a first step in the fight against corruption.

BiH does not have an adequate policy or strategy for the fight against corruption, and the legal framework has been waiting for a complete and comprehensive reconstruction for years, which is unequivocally emphasized by the European Commission among the 14 priorities for obtaining candidate status. The absence of progress and direct blockade of the improvement of the legal framework for the prevention of conflicts of interest, financing of political parties, protection of whistleblowers, public procurement only confirms the complete captivity of the state and the institutional framework. The extent of the state’s captivity raises the question of the legitimacy of the BiH authorities, which is further derogated from by systemic fraud and the lack of integrity of the electoral process. During the last election campaign alone, TI BiH documented over 2,500 examples of overt misuse of public resources in the campaign.

Of particular concern is the situation in the Federation of BiH, which did not even establish a government two and a half years ago, the Constitutional Court is also incomplete, there is no legal framework for whistleblower protection, and the Law on Conflict of Interest implemented, which makes the whole situation in this entity anarchic.

“The country has been going in the wrong direction for a long time, but the COVID 19 pandemic and the economic crisis resulting from the pandemic, combined with growing corruption, could create a highly flammable mixture that could put BiH at high risk of paralysis.” , stressed Srdjan Blagovcanin, Chairman of the Board of TI BiH, at the presentation of the Index.

“In such a context, the systematic violation of human rights, the existential uncertainty of citizens, as well as the very threat to life due to the inadequate response of the authorities to the protection of public health can lead to escalating anger among citizens.”

Political parties are undoubtedly the key protagonists of capturing the state, under the leadership of undisputed leaders in whose hands real power is concentrated, they have completely controlled the public sector, subordinating it to their own needs to the detriment of the public interest.

The direct consequence of deep-rooted corruption, ie the intention to prevent disclosure of corruption and accountability at all costs, is frequent human rights violations, as pointed out by international actors, especially in the context of restrictions on freedom of assembly in Republika Srpska. European Commission. The erosion of democratic standards, the stifling of freedom of speech, the creation of an atmosphere of intolerance for voices of criticism is a long-standing trend in BiH.

Press rls_28_1_2021 – BiH among the countries where the state of corruption is deteriorating the most, life-threatening citizens

CPI 2020 Presentation