Transparency International: Hungarians see graft worsening

Budapest, November 16 (MTI) – Hungarians regard graft as a problem that is worsening, József Péter Martin, Transparency International’s (TI) managing director for Hungary said on Wednesday. The majority thinks that the government’s measures against it are inadequate, he said.

Martin insisted that Hungarians feel impotent when it comes to fighting against corruption.

TI’s survey showed that 30 percent of Hungarians viewed their country’s politics as corrupt.

They identified corruption and immigration as two outstanding problems currently.

Everyday misconduct was seen as especially strong in the field of health care regarding gratuities.

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Martin said ever fewer people were bothering to report corruption. Older people are quite passive while the younger generation was readier to fight against it, he said, adding that corruption strengthens passivity and distrust.

Gábor Zupkó, head of the European Commission’s Hungarian representation, told the same press conference that corruption generally has a negative effect not only in terms of public trust but on competitiveness and investments too. He added that EU member states asked the commission to evaluate the countries’ economic situation each year. Officials from Brussels will visit Budapest next week to prepare their country report.

TI carries out a global survey each year focusing on the citizens’ experiences regarding corruption. Its Global Corruption Barometer evaluates the responses of 60,000 people from 42 countries in Europe and central Asia. In Hungary, 1,501 people’s views were sought between 2015 December and 2016 May.

Source: MTI