Corruption Perceptions Index 2020 - Executive Summary

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 06:01 CET, 28 JANUARY 2020 COUNTRIES TO WATCH Serbia With this year’s one-point drop, Serbia (38) earns its lowest score on the CPI since 2012. The country’s biggest corruption challenges include serious rule-of- law issues, continued democratic erosion and efforts to silence critical voices. Belarus With a score of 47, Belarus is a significant improver on the CPI, jumping 16 points since 2012. However, in 2020, weekly citizen protests began against the contested presidential election results, with national and international onlookers sounding alarms 62 about police violence and ill-treatment of citizens at the hands of police. In Serbia, corruption contributes to challenges with the rule of law, an erosion of democratic norms and the silencing of critical voices. In 2020, mass protests and police brutality rocked Belarus, which continues to struggle with grand corruption and state capture. In response to COVID-19, Serbia took several controversial steps, including suspending Parliament, 57 implementing extensive curfews, and inciting violence against protesters. 58 In addition, the police arrested and detained an investigative journalist, 59 while the government restricted access to information 60 on the procurement of medical equipment, and retaliated against health care workers 61 who criticised its response to the public health crisis. After years of neglect, the country’s health system was tested by COVID-19, with dire consequences. Corruption remains an obstacle to medical specialisation and career advancement. Grand corruption 63 remains a problem in Belarus, where it is concentrated within the highest levels of government. 64 For years, the president’s office has exercised authoritative power with little to no legislative or judicial checks and balances while the economy has mostly been controlled by the state. In 2019, the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body, known as the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), publicly declared 65 Belarus as “non- compliant” for failing to address the vast majority of necessary anti-corruption reforms and recommendations. Photo: Ruslan Kalnitsky / Shutterstock.com Photo: AleksandarS / Shutterstock.com CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX 2020 17