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Report about corruption in Hungary kept a secret – again!
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On Tuesday, the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) published their annual report on European countries. However, they pointed out that the Hungarian government prohibits the publication of the international report for the third year in a row, since 2017.
In 2018, GRECO called attention to Hungary’s shortcomings in the fight against corruption. At the moment, 16 member states, including Hungary, are under investigation for not implementing the changes to their justice system that were suggested in the previous years’ reports. Moreover, according to Index, Hungary has refused to agree to the report coming to light since 2017. Hungary is not alone in this, though. Austria, Moldova, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Belarus also oppose publishing the report about them.
GRECO already stated numerous times in 2017 and 2018 that what Hungary does to stop corruption is not enough. In March, they sent a group of experts to Budapest to give advice specific to Hungary on legislation and governmental measures.
Criticism on Hungary
GRECO wants Hungary to be more transparent about the process of law-making and provide more opportunities for consultation. Moreover, Hungary is advised to implement a stricter code of ethics that could prevent politicians from acting in a corrupt manner while also preventing lobbyists of the business sector from influencing decisions.
However, GRECO’s biggest problem with Hungary is how much power the National Office for the Judiciary (OBH) has, and how corrupt the courts and the appointment of judges are in Hungary.
Therefore, they advise implementing laws and regulations that protect judges and prosecutors, thus ensuring their immunity and independence.