Peter Eigen, the founder of the worldwide organization of Transparency International (TI) visited Budapest meeting with the leading actors of the anti-corruption movements in Hungary.  At the press conference on Monday Prof. Eigen highlighted the results of TI Hungary initiatives and declared that “every chance is given to provide effective measures against corruption considering that the two governing parties dispose of the necessary parliamentary majority to execute the structural reforms. If it is followed by a political will for transparent and good governance, our organization is willing to support the new government with recommendations and provide best practices” – said Prof. Peter Eigen.

Without reducing the risks of corruption, Hungary’s economic and competitive indicators will not improve. “The restraint of corruption cannot be executed without structural reforms, changing the current management of some institutions and the top level’s exemplary devotedness” said Miklós Marschall, the European and Central Asian Regional Director of Transparency International and highlighted the responsibilities of the new government and the new parliament.

Miklós Marschall

TI announced the priorities of anti-corruption measures which are requiring immediate actions:

Reform of party and campaign financing

Currently the partys’ and campaigns’ financing are not transparent. The parliamentary majority of Fidesz enables the update of the draft bill submitted by Fidesz. The draft’s update should include adequate transparency and monitoring institutions (campaign bill, registration of advertisements, strengthening the role of the State Audit Office), and provide an opportunity to introduce a rational campaign spending limit.

Restructuration of the public procurement system

The 65-75 per cent of the tenders are tackled by corruption, and the systematic corruption raises procurement costs by 25 per cent. The total amount of procurements was 1600 billion forints in 2008. Without corruption, 400 billion forints, i.e. 1.5 per cent of the GDP could have been saved. Recommendation: new public procurement act and the reform of the institutional system monitoring the process of procurement.

Enhancing the capacity of law enforcement organs

The investigation and exemplary sanctions of large corruption scandals are still missing. The investigation of corruption cases can be improved by strengthening the units of police and prosecution investigating corruption cases, and ensuring their influence-free operation.

Providing the transparency and accountability of the judicial system

The rule of law, the consistent and transparent application of the law has an elementary key importance in the fight against corruption. The emerged problems in the judicial system can be solved by structural changes, and the modification of the acts on the organization and administration of the courts.

Enhancing Transparency

Transparency is the simplest and generally the most effective tool to fight corruption. The time, the necessity and the opportunity is given to Hungary to create a higher level of publicity – as it has been already created in (this regard) leading European Union members: Scandinavian countries and Estonia. It is necessary to make the state apparatus nearly completely transparent, to modify the execution of policies related to this, the reconsider the system of asset-declarations, and to publicize the documents related to the state socialist system’s secret service past.