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Hungary has been rated the most corrupt country in the EU by Transparency International, reports Index. The government has also reacted to the news.
Transparency International has published its 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index which measures the level of corruption in countries around the world. Countries are ranked on a scale of one to 100- the higher the number, the less corrupt the country.
Within the European Union, Hungary scored the lowest with 42 points. A year ago, Bulgaria was the most corrupt country in the European Union with 42 points, while Hungary was second to last with 43 points. In 2022, however, while Bulgaria improved by one point, Hungary dropped by one.
The report attributes Hungary’s score to a decade of systemic corruption and a deterioration in the rule of law.
Hungary is ranked 77th in the world with 42 points, shared with seven other countries. Burkina Faso, Kuwait, the Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vietnam also scored 42 out of 100.
In a comment to Telex.hu, the Government Information Center (KTK) pointed out that
Transparency International did not investigate the corruption scandal which has erupted in the EU institutions,
calling the organization a part of the NGO network of Hungarian-born, liberal billionaire George Soros. According to KTK, this network is deeply involved in the corruption scandal and also finances the Hungarian left-wing opposition.
The prime minister’s political director, Balázs Orbán, also reacted to the ranking:
Hungary is scoring low on a ranking made by a Soros-funded NGO.
Surprise, surprise… Does anyone take them seriously anymore? https://t.co/RWkdWeDS3E
— Balázs Orbán (@BalazsOrban_HU) January 31, 2023
Index recalled that Magyar Nemzet had earlier reported on how Soros-linked NGOs influence the image of Hungary in the international press, even by bribing journalists. And Mandiner accused Transparency International of being funded by corrupt companies.
In a new article, Mandiner reports that although Transparency International has demanded anti-corruption measures from the European Parliament over the aforementioned corruption scandal, it has not raised the role of NGOs at all, even though the non-governmental organization Fight Impunity reportedly played a central role in the corruption scandal involving members of the European Parliament.
Infographics via Transparency International