BiH among the four worst-positioned countries in Europe regarding corruption

(Patria) - According to the Corruption Perception Index (CPI), Bosnia and Herzegovina is among the four worst-positioned countries in Europe with a score of 34 out of a possible 100, and ranks 109th in the world, a position it shares with Algeria, Nepal, and Indonesia. A slight change of one point higher compared to last year does not alter the picture of years-long stagnation, as BiH remains at the very bottom of Europe, with only Russia, Belarus, and Serbia having worse results. Serbia has experienced a significant decline in recent years due to the consequences of corruption on human lives and the suppression of civil liberties.

This year's CPI research focused precisely on the consequences that the collapse of democracy has on the state of corruption in the country, as countries with established democratic institutions, free media, and other oversight mechanisms over government work are more effectively combating corruption. In this regard, nothing has changed in BiH compared to previous years, as our corruption level measured by CPI places us among countries assessed as failed democracies and states labeled as dictatorial regimes. This has been particularly influenced by a series of laws in Republika Srpska that, during the past year, led to the suppression of freedom of speech and association, as well as the erosion of the legal order.

The global report, published alongside the CPI results, also focused on the transparency of financing election campaigns, which is vital for protecting the electoral process from corruption. In our context, it is important to state that research by TI BiH shows complete darkness in this area, with parties concealing at least 2.6 million KM in campaign costs in their latest reports. In a country where democracy is merely a facade, a government facing a legitimacy crisis increasingly seeks to control the electoral process, as evidenced by the uncovering of massive electoral fraud.

In its regional report, Transparency International states that BiH's progress in combating corruption is hindered by unsuccessful efforts to eliminate political influence on judicial appointments and to effectively regulate the independence and accountability of judges and prosecutors. TI BiH has already pointed out the farce currently accompanying the adoption of the law on the HJPC, where key decision-makers seek to retain mechanisms that allow for political control over the judiciary.

Such a judiciary in BiH, a country at the very bottom in terms of corruption, continues to have devastating results in prosecuting corruption-related criminal offenses. In such a situation, numerous corruption scandals that marked last year, such as the Vijadukt or Pretis affairs, have not received a judicial epilogue.

Another critical area remains the prevention of conflicts of interest for public officials. Under the new law at the state level, no sanctions have been imposed yet. In Republika Srpska, conflicts of interest have been practically legalized through arbitrary interpretations, and at the FBiH level, the law has not been applied for over 13 years. Therefore, TI BiH, with the support of 13 parliamentarians, recently initiated the adoption of a new law on conflicts of interest in FBiH, and the parliamentary vote could clearly show which political actors are obstructing key reforms, causing BiH to remain at the very bottom of Europe for years.

With this level of corruption, BiH cannot make any progress in European integration, and the government has promised to fulfill most of the reforms necessary to combat corruption through the reform agenda. However, we continue to witness obvious obstructions of reform processes, especially from key actors in power who are facing a legitimacy crisis and seek to retain levers of power by resisting democratic processes, through altering the electoral will of citizens and bringing what remains of independent institutions in this country under political control.

Therefore, TI BiH appeals to all political actors, as well as the EU and the international community, to support the fight against corruption, as otherwise, only further steps towards the collapse of institutions and the suppression of human rights and civil liberties can be expected.