site.btaUPDATED Transparency International: Bulgaria Ranks 72nd in Corruption Perceptions Index

Bulgaria ranked 72nd in Transparency International's global Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2022. The country is ranked second to last in the European Union, with Hungary coming last this year. The data were presented by Transparency International-Bulgaria during a press conference at the BTA National Press Club in Sofia on Tuesday.

The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories around the world by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, scoring on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). Bulgaria is included in the CPI for the twenty-fifth time. In 2022, Bulgaria scored 43 points, one point up year on year. 

Kalin Slavov from TI - Bulgaria said that in the last 10 years Bulgaria has been moving between the scores 41 and 44. In his words, the country seems to have gone with the flow and is in a state of permanent stagnation in terms of corruption. 

TI - Bulgaria explain that a change of one point in the index score is not statistically significant, and in this regard two circumstances should be taken into account - index values below 50 points are indicative of a systematic problem with corruption and of an ineffective fight; to make significant progress, an improvement in the score with a statistically significant increase of more than three points is needed. 

Compared to the previous year, the index marked a slight increase of one point, the association explains. From there, they clarify that the change of one point in the result of the index is not statistically significant, and in this connection two circumstances should be taken into account - the values of the index below 50 points are an indicator of a systematic problem with corruption and an ineffective fight; A statistically significant increase of more than three points is required for significant progress.

Slavov stated that the non-transparent use of public resources is part of the indicators that cause corruption. He defined the political crisis as one of the most characteristic features of the past year 2022. The analyst also noted attacks against the civilian sector as a problem, as in the 48th National Assembly there were bills to "introduce practices that are characteristic of countries like Hungary, like Russia" regarding non-governmental organizations.

"The outgoing parliament was marked by unprecedented lobbying," Slavov said.

Vanya Kashukeeva-Nusheva from Transparency Without Borders also touched on the unresolved issue of lobbying in legislation. Bulgaria is one of the few countries in Central and Eastern Europe that have joined the European Union, which still do not have rules to control lobbying activities.

Nusheva added that the problems and hasty changes in the electoral process are another critical element in the report on Bulgaria. 

Political scientist Ognyan Minchev, chairman of the Board of Directors of Transparency without Borders, said that since Bulgaria has been part of the Corruption Perception Index, no particular successes have been realized, regardless of who is in power.

Apart from Bulgaria with 43 points and Hungary with 42 points, values below 50 points in Europe are also recorded by Romania (46 points). Regarding the countries of the Balkan Peninsula, there is a stable upwards trend (Greece went from from 36 points in 2012 to 52 points in 2022). In the past year, Croatia's index also went up to 50 points.

A negative trend was reported in Turkiye, from 49 to 36 points, in the Republic of North Macedonia - from 43 to 40 points, in Bosnia and Herzegovina - from 42 to 34 points and in Serbia - from 39 to 36 points.

The results of the research indicate that Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden are again at the top of the ranking with the lowest levels of corruption. New Zealand and Singapore round out the top spots.