Problems with the rule of law, freedom of the press and independence of justice in Greece continue.

Heat-records, floods, fires: extreme weather events are increasing, but at the same time climatic targets are called into question. One of the main reasons for this is not often discussed: corruption.

The Corruption Percepts Index (CPI) for 2024 Transparency International finds that in many countries corruption and abuse of power are obstacles to climate protection. With temperatures rising throughout the globe, democracy at risk and not prioritizing climate protection, the world is “with their backs to the wall”.

Corruption crisis exacerbates climate crisis

“We have to deal with corruption immediately before it takes the necessary measures to protect the climate to absolute failure,” writes International Transparency Director, Maira Martini, in the CPI report, calling on governments and multilateral organizations to put the fight against the fight. Corruption at the heart of their climate protection strategies.

Today the corrupt forces are “defining politics”, but also forcing “journalists, activists and all those who are in favor of equality and sustainability to be silent,” Martini continues. In order to effectively protect the climate, it is necessary to resolve this threat.

Corruption and Millions of Millions of Millions in the US and Russia

In the US, for example, one energy company allegedly invested $ 60 million to create a bribery system, with the aim of affecting political decisions and delaying the shift to renewable energy. According to the prosecutor’s office, a politician and his associates were assigned to promote the support of two nuclear power stations with billions. In this way, the business has been able to compete with companies operating in new and cheaper forms of energy and gain a competitive advantage.

In Russia, research has collected strong indications that millions of dollars were abused by a World Fund project for the environment, which manages the UN Development Program (UNDP). This project, which took place from 2011 to 2017, aimed to improve energy efficiency and reduce gas emissions – but according to the CPI it did not achieve any of its climate goals. Similar cases are observed in other countries around the world, such as in Libya and Vietnam.

“Everywhere in the world, people ask the government to take steps to protect the climate. But their voices are undermined by powerful oil and gas companies, which corrupt political leaderships and benefit from environmental destruction, “criticizes Mantz Kristensen, director of Greenpeace International. These businesses are taking advantage of their billions “in order to silence critics and activists, to redeem even more power and to prevent the establishment of measures to protect our families and our planet.”

Most states have a problem with corruption

In the CPI, the International Transparency ranks 180 countries on the basis of a score proportional to the corruption that exists in the public sector of each state – on one scale of 0 (completely corrupt state) to 100 (no corrupt state). The index is based on the data of 13 external sources, including, inter alia, the World Bank, the World Economic Forum, private consulting companies, thought tanks and other organizations.

More than two -thirds of countries collect less than 50 points – and this has “huge and potentially destructive implications for global climate protection measures”. These states live 6.8 billion people, or 85% of the world population.

Countries that collect the worst score are primarily countries with dictatorial regimes or states in armed conflict – such as South Sudan (8), Somalia (9), Venezuela (10) and Syria (12) .

The states at the top of the standings on the other side are Denmark (90), which occupies the penthouse for the seventh consecutive year, followed by Finland (88) and Singapore (84).

Germany shares the 15th place with Canada with 75 points. “Since 2012, Germany has been in the same position, though this year it has garnered three points less than last year-which shows that the country is not going as well as other countries in the fight against corruption,” observes Alexandra Hertsog , head of the German branch of international transparency.

In Greece itself, improvement in Cyprus

As for Greece, it is one of the states that collect below 50 points. This year, as well as last year, Greece scored 49 points on the CPI rating scale, rating it in 59th place, level with Jordan, Namibia and Slovakia and under countries such as Malaysia (57th), Poland (53rd ) and Rwanda (45th).

Since the beginning of the last decade to the present day, Greece has taken several steps in dealing with corruption: in 2012 the country was gaining only 36 points, and in 2022 it managed to reach 52, which is the highest score in the country in this time .

The fall to 49 points in 2023, however, did not go unnoticed by the international transparency, which said last year that there is “a crisis of the rule of law, which undermines the country’s ten -year progress against corruption. The government is alleged to be monitoring opposition journalists and personalities, attacks on freedom of the press, and there is a problem with the independence of justice – and because of all this the country records the largest decline in the EU in terms of the rule of law.

[…] Greece also ranks the last EU in the global index for freedom of the press, and strategic lawsuits are also filed with the aim of silencing journalists and blocking corruption reports. And the situation is even more worse than the fact that the media is in the hands of private individuals with close bonds with political leadership. “

International Transparency proposed that “the government should protect the security of journalists, enhance the legislation on lobbying and party financing and create an independent anti -corruption authority”, as the national transparency authority established In 2019, it looked very promising, it does not meet expectations, because “its heads are appointed by the government, there are positions that remain vacant for long periods, and its resignations are recorded due to scandals.”

The fact that the country has no improvement in CPI 2024 shows that no effective measure was probably taken in accordance with international transparency proposals – and therefore the need for reforms, including justice and public administration, remains equally imperative. .

Cyprus, on the other hand, improved last year’s score by three points, scoring 56 points and taking 49th in the list, ten positions higher than Greece.