Corruption is worsening globally, with even established democracies experiencing rising corruption amid a decline in leadership according to Transparency International's 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) published on Tuesday.

Romania's score is 45 de points out of 100 possible in CPI, placing it under the 47-point average of flawed democracies.

At the same time, the number of countries scoring above 80 shrank from 12 a decade ago to just five in CPI 2025. At European level, progress against corruption has stalled over the past decade, with UE average at 62 points. With 45 points out of 100 in CPI 2025, Romania also shows a stagnation, with only one point more compared to 2012. With a score that vary with 1 - 2 points from one year to another, Romania remains at the bottom of EU level in CPI 2025 with Bulgaria (40) and Hungary (40), according to a Transparency International press statement released on Tuesday.

There are also countries that register high score differences, for example Greece (+ 14 points since 2012), Estonia (+ 11 points since 2012), Hungary (-15 points since 2012), Poland (-10 points since 2015).

Corruption Perception Index ranks 182 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, using 13 independent data sources. The ranking is created by awarding points from 0 to 100, where zero means 'highly corrupt' and 100 'very clean.' Strong democracies average CPI 2025 score is 71 points. None of those countries scores less than 50 points. By contrast, flawed democracies average CPI score is 47 points. Romania scored 45 points in CPI 2025.

Transparency International research shows that long-term improvements in CPI scores in democratic countries reflect sustained momentum with reforms, strengthened institutions and broad political consensus in favour of clean governance. Instead, persistently law or declining CPI scores usually go hand in hand with eroding democratic checks and balances, the politicisation of justice systems, undue influence over political processes, and a failure to safeguard civic space.

The consequences of corruption are widespread across society, especially visible and damaging in four key areas: justice and the rule of law, democracy and political integrity, civic space and media freedom, and public services access. In each of these domains, corrupt behaviour does more than divert resources or break rules: it reshapes incentives and widens power imbalances.

Transparency International note that at a time when European nations are facing major challenges - from ongoing war in Ukraine and geopolitical tensions that are testing the bloc's unity to increasingly polarised societies and the rise of the far right - effective leadership and strong, independent institutions that uphold integrity standards and serve the public interest are more needed than ever.

In December 2025, the EU adopted its first Anti-Corruption Directive, intended to harmonise criminal laws across member states and establish a zero-tolerance approach. The transposition of EU Directive could be a good opportunity for Romania to propose ambitious objectives and reforms. A major objective focused on integrity in public office and anti-corruption reforms to contribute to strengthening democracy in Romania could lead including to an increased score in CPI, to at least 50 points by 2030.

Such an ambitious goal might be elaborated with civil society involvement and coordinated with strategic documents as: Anti-corruption National Strategy 2026 - 2030 - framework coordination tool for integrity policies; National Defence Strategy 2025-2030, which shows as necessary increase of anti-corruptions measures in order to raise the public trust in public institutions and in the act of governance.

Also it is essential the public debate and approval of an improved and harmonised legislative framework on integrity, in order to repair existing gaps and loopholes, thus offering the right tools to public institutions to fight against corruption effectively and for the public interest.

Transparency International Romania once again highlights the importance of cooperation among all societal actors, from the academic environment and public institutions to the private sector and civil society.

Their constant involvement in building an integrity-driven society is essential, as each has its own role and responsibility in the fight against corruption. Involvement needs to be based on loyal cooperation and without supporting partisan interests that polarise and affects any initiative sustainability into society. The culture of dialogue and analysis objectivity are essential in order to support the fight against corruption, as a good for society. Their constant involvement in building an integrity-driven society is essential, as each has its own role and responsibility in the fight against corruption. Another essential premise that must be established regards anti-corruption institution stability, rejection of any direct or indirect political attacks trough pressure groups, and real separation of powers. In particular, Romania went through a period of undermining the rule of law that weakened the public trust in fundamental state bodies.

On the institutional level, it is needed: establishment of National Integrity Agency management, ensuring leadership stability of National Anticorruption Directorate, strengthening operational capacity of ANABI, National Office for the Prevention and Combat of Money Laundering reform. Further strengthen of anti-corruption criminal investigation quality in order to assure them successfully in court and file sustainability.

Further strengthening of anti-corruption criminal investigation quality in order to assure them successfully in court and file sustainability. Decisions issued by courts in recent years, regarding previous investigations, were generated by the poor quality and legislative instability as well as the sanctioning of the lack of quality in criminal prosecution compared to the expectations created in society trough sensational accusations, which however did not pass the test of the court.

Decreasing rates of file returns from preliminary chamber and acquittals in the cases that were presented to the courts show an improvement in quality of criminal investigations both in terms of regularity and as a standard of proof for the charges. This trend should be reinforced in order to regain the public trust in anti-corruption efforts.

On legislative level, 2026 priorities should be: the adoption of legislation on the transparency of asset and interest declarations following the CCR decision; the legal clarity of bribery and corruption offenses, so that a different interpretation of the timing of the commission of offenses no longer leads to the ineffectiveness of criminal policy; the adoption of the Administrative Procedure Code, in order to make procedures and public sector decisions transparent and objective; the mandatory application of integrity pacts in all public procurement procedures whose value exceeds RON 1.000.000; strengthening the accountability of control bodies that identify signs of corruption and do not report them, by extending the criminalisation of cover-up facts; the approval of the National Strategy to combat money laundering and databases integration.

Another priority in order to raise public and partners trust in Romania's capacity to assure public integrity - is to countering disinformation regarding judicial procedures and to stop political instrumentality of combatting corruption, double standards depending on which actors are involved and what affiliations they have. These practices used for short-term domestic political gain undermine external trust, implicitly the ability to negotiate and ensure credibility in financial markets. The fight against corruption is effective, credible and sustainable only if is approached with integrity by all societal entities. AGERPRES (RO - editing by: Mihai Stoica; EN - editing by: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu)