Bulgaria ranks one of the lowest in the European Union in fight against corruption, according to the annual report of “Transparency International“ for 2025. The country receives an index of 40, equal only to that of Hungary, reflecting the growing influence of private interests on the state and intensifying calls for action against kleptocracy. Public discontent is growing, and widespread corruption remains among the biggest challenges facing democratic institutions in Bulgaria.
The non-governmental organization for fighting corruption “Transparency International“ warned in its annual report of rising corruption in democracies around the world, giving the United States its lowest ever corruption perception index, AFP reported.
In its annual report presenting the Corruption Perceptions Index in 2025, the Berlin-based organization reported the lowest global average score in more than a decade. The "Transparency International" index gives a score between 0 (extremely corrupt) and 100 (very honest) based on data from experts and company executives.
The average global corruption perception index is 42, the lowest level in more than a decade, AFP reported. The 2025 index shows that the number of countries with a score above 80 has decreased from 12 a decade ago to just five last year.
According to the organization, the weakening of democratic institutions is also observed in countries whose corruption perception index is generally high. These are countries such as New Zealand (81), Sweden (80), Canada (75), the United Kingdom (70) and France (66).
According to the organization, the index of the United Kingdom and France remains high, but "corruption risks have increased" due to the weakening of the influence of independent regulatory bodies, the lack of relevant legislation and effective sanctions. A worrying trend according to "Transparency International" is also the restriction of freedom of expression, assembly and association.
Regarding the United States, "Transparency International" expresses concern about "actions that target independent voices and threaten the independence of the judiciary". Thus, the score for the perception of corruption in the United States has fallen from 65 to 64 compared to 2015, when it was 75.
Since the beginning of his second term in January last year, US President Donald Trump has increased his pressure on a number of institutions ranging from universities to the US Federal Reserve Board (FRB), which represents the US central bank, AFP emphasizes.
The Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice after Powell refused to give in to pressure from the US president to lower interest rates.
"The temporary suspension and weakening of the application of US law on corrupt practices abroad is an expression of tolerance for corrupt business practices," the non-governmental organization states in its report.
"Transparency International" also believes that the significant reduction in foreign aid by President Trump's administration "has weakened efforts to fight corruption at the global level."
In the European Union, the countries with the organization's worst score are Hungary and Bulgaria, each receiving a score of 40.
Public dissatisfaction with corruption is growing, with Bulgaria (40) and Spain (55) experiencing their biggest protests in years. In Bulgaria, widespread private influence over the state is fueling calls for action against kleptocracy.
The report claims that the government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in power since 2010 and facing a tough re-election battle in April this year, has "systematically undermined the rule of law, civil liberties and the integrity of elections for more than 10 years".
"This has allowed him to siphon off billions of euros, including from European Union funds, with impunity, and distribute them to his partners through dishonest public procurement", the report adds.
"Transparency International" has criticized the European Union for remaining "indifferent" in the face of the erosion of democratic safeguards in some member states, instead of using "its powerful toolbox for upholding the rule of law".
In its 2025 report, the NGO highlights the conviction of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy as "a rare example in Europe of the application of the principle of a high level of responsibility for violations of political integrity". He was sentenced in late September last year to five years in prison for participating in a criminal group, after which he was imprisoned on October 10, and finally released on November 10. His three-week stay in prison was the first of its kind in the history of the French Fifth Republic.
For the eighth consecutive year, Denmark is the country with the best score, receiving a score of 89. Countries with high anti-corruption indices include Singapore (84) and Switzerland (80).
Ukraine has seen one of the most positive changes in the index, although its score of 36 remains low. Volodymyr Zelensky's government has faced strong public discontent following corruption allegations against his close associates.
According to "Transparency International" "the fact that these and many other scandals have been revealed to the public shows that the work of the anti-corruption authorities is yielding results". The report welcomed the "mobilization of civil society" in Ukraine, which forced Zelensky to abandon the adoption of a bill limiting the independence of anti-corruption bodies.
Source: dariknews.bg