On Tuesday, Transparency International’s 2022 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) raised concerns that “most countries are failing to stop corruption,” ranking India at 85 out of 180 countries, with a score of 40.
India Remains Stagnant
The report stressed that New Delhi’s case appears to be “particularly worrying.” It highlights that although “the country’s score has remained stagnant over the past decade, some of the mechanisms that could help reign in corruption are weakening.”
“There are concerns over the country’s democratic status, as fundamental freedoms and institutional checks and balances decay,” it noted.
🔴 OUT NOW! The Corruption Perceptions Index 2022 shows that most of the world continues to fail to fight corruption: 95% of countries have made little to no progress since 2017. Check it out!
— Transparency International (@anticorruption) January 31, 2023
India was 86 in 2021 with the same score of 40, with the document emphasising that journalists and activists had been “victims of attacks by the police, political militants, criminal gangs, and corrupt local officials.”
“Civil society organisations that speak up against the government have been targeted with security, defamation, sedition, hate speech and contempt-of-court charges, and with regulations on foreign funding,” the report affirmed.
Link Between Corruption and Violence
The document underlined that corruption has been the cause and result of the deteriorating global peace in the last 15 years.
“As governments have collectively failed to make progress against [corruption], they fuel the current rise in violence and conflict — and endanger people everywhere,” Chairperson of Transparency International Delia Ferreira Rubio remarked. She added that “The only way out is for states to do the hard work, rooting out corruption at all levels to ensure governments work for all people, not just an elite few.”
Western Europe’s Decline
Although Western Europe did well in combatting corruption, some of its countries have been slipping on the scoreboard, with the UK scoring its lowest after dropping five points to 73. The report attributed the score to scandals about public spending and lobbying, bad ministerial conduct, and low public trust in politics.
Transparency International, a highly respected international organisation, has reported a sharp downgrade in the UK’s score on their perceived corruption index.
— Margaret Hodge (@margarethodge) January 31, 2023
My full statement below 👇 pic.twitter.com/0PZ4CStn8P
Even Switzerland and the Netherlands, with scores of 82 and 80, respectively, appeared to be on the decline due to weak lobbying regulations.
Eastern Europe’s Rampant Corruption
Ranked at 137 with a score of 28, Russia became a prime example of corruption’s impact on the country’s peace and stability, with Russian oligarchs earning fortunes by garnering government contracts and being loyal toward President Vladimir Putin in the face of the ongoing Ukraine war, which has “destabilised the European continent, [threatened] democracy, and [killed] tens of thousands.”
“The absence of any checks on Putin’s power allowed him to pursue his geopolitical ambitions with impunity.”
Denmark Tops, Somalia Comes Last
Denmark tops the list with a score of 90, followed by Finland and New Zealand at 87. The report called the countries strong democracies with a high regard for human rights, making them one of the most peaceful nations in the world.
Somalia came last with a score of 12, while South Sudan and Syria were tied for second-to-last with 13. Furthermore, only eight countries showed any improvement since last year, including Ireland with a score of 77, South Korea with 63, Armenia with 46, and Angola with 33.