site.btaTransparency International Hungary Director: Southeast European Countries Retreating from Democratic Governance

The countries of Southeast Europe have a similar socio-political profile today, Dr Jozsef Peter Martin, Executive Director of Transparency International Hungary, said here on Thursday. He gave a lecture at an international forum on "From Corruption to Integrity: The Choice Facing Southeast Europe", organized by the Bulgarian Association of Anti-Financial Crime Experts in cooperation with Transparency International Bulgaria. 

Martin highlighted the following characteristics as being common to the region: retreating from democratic governance with signs of sliding towards authoritarianism, strong Russian influence, a weak institutional environment, fraud involving EU funds, national legislation that is aligned with EU legislation but is poorly enforced, high-risk public procurement, a lack of lobbying regulation, covert collusion between public and private interests, and finally, low effectiveness in protecting investments. 

Referring to publications such as Freedom House, the European Commission’s Rule of Law Report 2025, and the Enabling Environment Index, the lecturer outlined the following profile of Bulgaria: semi-consolidated democracy with a lack of independence and transparency in the judicial system and weakened protection of private property. He added that there is also corruption in public procurement and misuse of subsidies in agriculture. 

In his lecture, Martin paid special attention to Hungary, describing the country as an "extreme case in the EU" due to the strong centralization of power, corruption, the takeover of its institutions, the undermining of market mechanisms and Russia's influence. He described Hungary as a constitutional autocracy within the EU and an authoritarian capitalist state, which he said had a negative impact on the country's socio-economic development. 

The guest lecturer from Hungary also presented the consequences of what he termed a "vicious circle" between autocracy and economic performance in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Martin, this cycle consists of extractive institutions in which power and resources are concentrated, a controlled State, social decay, unsatisfactory economic performance, and a deteriorating business climate. 

Thursday's forum, hosted by the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia, was dedicated to the effects of corruption and financial fraud on businesses and individuals. Issues raised included the role of the media, investigative journalism and civil society in combating corruption and financial fraud, the impact of corruption on national security and the consequences of political corruption.