North Macedonia Worst Ranked in Region in Terms of Corruption

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Despite aspirations to join the European Union, the scores in six Western Balkan countries have not improved in 2019, finds Transparency International in its annual Corruption Perception Index.

“A lack of political will and a decline in implementation of laws and regulations are real challenges”, the report concludes.

 Where corruption is concerned, Croatia is the best ranked in the region, but it has nonetheless backslid three places and is now in 63rd place; Montenegro and Serbia have been rated the same as in previous years and are in 66th and 91st place, respectively, while North Macedonia has fallen from 93rd to 106th place and, together with Albania, is the lowest ranked in the region. 

Slađana Taseva, president of TI Macedonia, said that this year’s result is a sign of a captured state, high level political corruption, lack of transparency in public sector and the inefficiency of the control and regulatory bodies that is a consequence of insufficient capacity for their work, the European Western Balkan website reported.

“Substantial reforms in the fight against corruption are necessary in the years to come”, Taseva concluded.

On the Corruption Perceptions Index, Bosnia and Herzegovina has gone down 11 places relative to last year and is sharing 101st place with Kosovo among 180 states. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the countries that have regressed the most in the struggle against corruption, Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina has said. 

According to the list, Bosnia has dropped 11 spots and received the worst rating in eight years. Bosnia and Herzegovina this year has a 36 rating (on a scale of zero to 100), which is the worst rating since 2012, when the Corruption Perceptions Index began to be based on existing methodology.