Corruption and Political Integrity

Delays in approving the Anticorruption bill undermine trust in governing institutions

We have learned with concerns that new obstacles have slowed down the approval of the anti-corruption bill, submitted two years ago and already approved by the Senate.

The current political and economic situation in Italy, mired as it is by corruption (60 billion of Euros according to the government spending watchdog, the Corte dei Conti), requires a strong and immediate intervention, not excuses for inaction.

The new version of the anti-corruption bill includes all the recommendations of the main international anti-corruption organisations. The approval of the bill will improve both the image of the country and will help spur the growth that everybody is waiting for.

The international indices, including the Euro Barometer and Transparency International’s Global Corruption Barometer, show how that Italian citizens consider the political parties as the institutions most tolerant towards corruption.

The Italian National Integrity Study 2011 (www.nisitalia.org) that will be launched on the 24th of May 2012 in Rome, also shows that political parties register the worst indicators regarding integrity, transparency, responsibility and commitment to fighting corruption.

A strong statement against corruption is a prerequisite to re-establish the trust and credibility of the Italian citizens. The approval of the anticorruption bill will give to the political parties an opportunity to show that the collective interest is one of their priorities and not optional.

It is clear that citizens are not willing to tolerate inefficiency, incompetence and laxity at every institutional level.

We appeal to the responsibility of the Members of the Parliament to make approval of the revised anti-corruption law their highest priority.

Editors Note
Transparency International Italia, the national chapter for Transparency International, was established in 1996 and is located in Milan.

Transparency International is the global organisation leading the fight against corruption.