ZAGREB, 30 Jan (Hina) – Croatia retains 57th place on Transparency International’s 2023В Corruption Perceptions Index, on which Denmark ranks first and Somalia last among 180 countries.
Croatia retains a score of 50 out of a maximum 100. Its neighbors Slovenia and Italy rank 42nd with a score of 56.
Of the Western Balkan countries, Serbia ranks 104th with a score of 36, Bosnia and Herzegovina ranks 108th with a score of 35, and Montenegro ranks 63rd with a score of 46.
Denmark, Finland, New Zealand and Norway are perceived as the least corrupt countries in the world, while Syria, Venezuela and Somalia are at the bottom of the index.
Where the rule of law, independent media and civil society groups are weakened, corruption thrives, Transparency International leader Alexandra Herzog said, citing Hungary as an example, which under Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s leadership, fell to 76th place on the CPI, the lowest ranking of EU member states.
“Weak accountability and political corruption are undermining the rule of law in a region where people are losing trust in their institutions. In the most alarming cases, narrow interest groups have too much control over political decision making. In others, governments are targeting journalists, whistleblowers and other watchdogs,” Transparency International says about corruption in the EU.
