Bulgaria has fallen three places in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), published by Transparency International, the Berlin-based global anti-corruption movement, ranking 84th out of 182 countries. Together with Hungary, it now shares the lowest position among European Union Member States. What lies behind Bulgaria’s declining performance, and what does it mean for the country’s economy and investment climate?
Kalin Slavov, Executive Director of Transparency International Bulgaria, discussed these issues on Bulgaria, Europe and the World in Focus, a programme on Focus Radio.
“Since 2012, Bulgaria has remained within a narrow range of 41 to 45 points out of 100 in the Index. Last year, we lost one point, followed by a further three-point drop this year, bringing our score down to 40. Another revealing comparison is Bulgaria’s position among the countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which we aspire to join. There, we rank 35th out of 38 countries, ahead of only countries such as Colombia, Türkiye and Mexico. Our performance is therefore poor not only within the EU, but also in this wider group,” Slavov explained.
He also discussed why Bulgaria continues to rank alongside countries such as Colombia and Mexico, contrasting its trajectory with that of neighbouring Romania, which started from a similar position.
“Romania is moving in the opposite direction: it is making progress and climbing the rankings. In Bulgaria, by contrast, anti-corruption efforts remain largely superficial, often reduced to political slogans that are periodically revived. One telling example is the Anti-Corruption Council, which is supposed to bring together representatives of the executive and judicial branches, civil society organisations and the business community. It has not met for more than a year. That speaks volumes about the political commitment to tackling corruption,” Slavov said.
Legislative Reform Must Deliver More Than Promises
Slavov stressed the need for legislative changes, particularly to improve the regulation of lobbying and strengthen protection for people who report corruption and other wrongdoing.
“The countries that perform worst in the Corruption Perceptions Index often have extremely harsh criminal laws, in some cases even including the death penalty. Yet their results remain dismal. This shows that the answer is not simply to increase the capacity of investigative authorities or criminalise more offences. The real priority is to change the environment in which corruption takes place—and to do so over the long term.
This requires effective protection for people who report wrongdoing; legislation that regulates lobbying; improvements to the governance of state-owned enterprises; and stronger frameworks for concessions and public procurement. One crucial issue is often overlooked: changing the way both businesses and citizens perceive corruption. Behaviour that should be considered abnormal has become normalised,” Slavov argued.
Corruption Makes Bulgaria a Riskier Place to Do Business
Bulgaria’s poor performance in the Index has tangible economic consequences. For businesses and financial institutions, corruption is not merely a governance concern; it is a financial risk that affects the cost and availability of capital.
“Banks, insurers and other financial institutions either charge businesses operating in such an environment significantly more for financing and insurance, or avoid providing credit altogether. As a result, Bulgaria is becoming a high-risk destination for business,” concluded the Executive Director of Transparency International Bulgaria.
Listen to the full interview with Kalin Slavov on Radio Focus.