BRUSSELS (Realist English). Corruption in Europe is often portrayed as a problem concentrated in Eastern member states, while Western Europe is seen as largely immune. Researchers and transparency advocates say that distinction is increasingly misleading and risks distorting political debate and policy choices across the European Union.
“In academic and scholarly debate, the assumption that corruption is exclusive to Eastern Europe or developing countries is long gone,” said Mihály Fazekas, director of the Government Transparency Institute and professor at Central European University. He argued that corruption should be understood as a systemic risk affecting both advanced and emerging economies, albeit in different forms.
The East–West narrative continues to surface in political discussions, including debates over continued EU financial and military support for Ukraine. In Hungary, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has cited corruption concerns to argue against further EU funding for Kyiv, reflecting a broader tendency to frame corruption as an external problem.
While low-level bribery remains more visible in parts of Eastern Europe, experts note that Western European corruption is more likely to take the form of political financing abuses, opaque lobbying, procurement manipulation and regulatory capture. A 2024 European Commission Eurobarometer survey found that 68% of Europeans believe corruption is widespread in their own country, and more than a quarter say it affects them personally.
The difference, analysts say, lies in visibility. Petty bribery is easy to recognise and condemn, while complex influence networks are harder to detect and often downplayed. Research by Corporate Europe Observatory estimates that major corporations and trade associations spend hundreds of millions of euros annually lobbying EU institutions, a figure that has risen sharply in recent years.
Recent high-profile cases have further challenged the idea of a “clean” West. Investigations involving senior EU figures and convictions of prominent politicians in countries such as France have highlighted how corruption allegations are often treated as isolated scandals rather than structural weaknesses.
Experts warn that treating corruption primarily as a problem of “elsewhere” may simplify political messaging but undermines effective enforcement. “The key challenge,” Fazekas said, “is not rhetoric about fighting corruption, but whether governments are willing to take concrete action — regardless of geography.”
