TI: Romanian Govt Efforts To Fight Corruption ‘Ineffective’

More than half of Romanians believe government’s actions against corruption are ineffective, Berlin-based watchdog Transparency International (TI) said Wednesday.

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In its 2009 Global Corruption Barometer, TI showed 69% of Romanian respondents distrust government actions.

According to the survey, 14% of Romanians said they had paid a bribe in the past year, with doctors seen pocketing the most illegal money.

The numbers are alarming for the European Commission’s country report as well, particularly since the average score in the EU bloc is of 5%, TI Romania executive manager Victor Alistar said.

TI’s survey indicates the Romanians believe petty bribe is less common than in the past year,

Alistar said the Romanians are more aware of the institutional bribery.

The most corrupted institutions or sectors in Romania are the Parliament and political parties, followed by the private sector and, for the media, which made it to the survey for the first time.

According to Alistar, citizens’ distrust in the media increased due to “visibly partisan editorial policies, which affect trust.”

Political speeches might have contributed to citizens’ distrust as well, Alistar said. He mentioned President Traian Basescu’s statements regarding media moguls.

TI’s 2009 Barometer polled 73,132 people in 69 countries worldwide.

Half of the respondents believe the private sector to be most affected by corruption.

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