According to Transparency International’s 2012 report, corruption continues to ravage societies around the world and is spreading to the Euro zone countries most affected by the economic crisis, that is Italy and Greece, where the situation has worsened, in terms of corruption perception. The world’s least corrupted countries are Denmark, Finland and New Zealand, while states like Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia once again cling to the bottom rung of the index. The corruption perception index has improved as far as Romania is concerned, over the past year.

Romania ranks 66th in the classification, up 9 positions, to the level of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Ranking last among the EU member states in the 2011 index score, Romania is now ahead of Greece and Italy, which fell to the 94th and 72nd positions, respectively. Head of Transparency International Romania, Victor Alistar, has said that in 2012, Romanian authorities have succeeded in sending positive signals as regards investment and the public sector.

Victor Alistar: “A positive signal has been sent to the international business sector, by relinquishing some mechanisms that were faulty, by eliminating monopoly from the energy market and revising investment contracts. The need for money to pay salaries, forced a change in the way in which the Romanian public affairs system, affected by corruption, was functioning. There was no time left to waste and therefore the authorities had to make efforts to crack down on systemic corruption, a move well received abroad, but still insufficient.”

Alistar has pointed out that credibility and the ability to protect public resources from any risks associated with corruption are essential for all states, Romania included. Prime Minister Victor Ponta has voiced satisfaction with the fact that Romania’s corruption perception index has decreased. As he says, Transparency International’s report affects the country’s rating and it is important for Romania to attract foreign investors. The corruption perception index is also used when setting interest rates of foreign market loans.