Eurobarometer: Corruption is Extensive in Hungary

Corruption remains a serious problem for EU citizens – and this is especially true for Hungarians: 91% of those polled believe that corruption is widespread in this country, while the EU average is 68%.

The European Commission has published the latest Special Eurobarometer on Corruption, which captures citizens' perceptions and experiences, as well as the Flash Eurobarometer on business attitudes towards corruption in the EU.

In Hungary and EU countries, just over half of the population believe that bribery and abuse of power is most common among political parties and politicians, followed by civil servants who issue building permits. This is an average increase of 5 percentage points compared to Eurobarometer data published three years ago. It is noteworthy, however, that unlike the EU average (29%), a disproportionately high number of Hungarians (46%) also consider the health sector to be a hotbed of corruption.

Regarding EU companies, 63% believe that corruption is also a widespread problem in their country – in Hungary this figure is 75%. 37% of participants believe that anti-corruption measures are applied impartially and without ulterior motives.

The Commission points out that Eurobarometers are an important source of information for the Commission's evaluations, including in the rule of law reports. As part of the EU's rule of law mechanism, the Commission promotes the fight against corruption in order to foster a culture of rule of law in all EU countries.

In May, the Commission presented a proposal for a directive on asset recovery and confiscation to ensure that crime and corruption do not pay, by limiting the ability of criminals to commit new crimes. In addition, the European Public Prosecutor's Office is operational and has already arrested and seized assets of criminals worth EUR millions.