How to Stop Corruption from Gaining Ground in Central Europe?

The ongoing rule of law debacle in Poland and Hungary and the case of a whistleblower in Romania are only signals of a wide-spread problem of coercive clientelism and corruption that beset Central Europe. So-called judicial reforms or changes to media pluralism undermine checks and balances rather than strengthening the democratic institutions of the region. We discuss recent analysis on Visegrad Insight by our Fellow Edit Zgut on coercive clientelism in Poland and our Associate Ruslanas Iržikevičius who questions politicians eager to welcome the unapproved Sputnik-vaccine. The episode continues with a personal testimony by Camelia Bogdan, a judge on the Bucharest Court of Appeals, and an explainer provided by democracy expert Alina Mungiu-Pippidi from the Hertie School in Berlin.

Coercive clientelism on the rise in Poland: https://visegradinsight.eu/coercive-clientelism-is-on-the-rise-in-kaczynskis-poland/

For Borrell's Europeans, Sputnik AK-47 is here to save you: https://visegradinsight.eu/for-borrells-europeans-sputnik-ak-47-is-here-to-save-you/

This episode is organized in partnership with the National Endowment for Democracy.

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