In September 2022, Andrej Babis, once prime minister of the Czech Republic, and his aide at the time, were charged with misusing European Union subsidies in the past in the country.trialThey were put on the If they are convicted, they may be sentenced to up to 10 years ofimprisonmentThe company said that it may be subject to the imposition of a

Political corruption by those in power has become a problem in the Czech Republic since the economic changes that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union, as well as in neighboring Slovakia, which was a single country with the Czech Republic until 1993. Both the Czech Republic and Slovakia are experiencing corruption in a variety of areas. Tackling Corruption and CorruptionNGOTransparency International, Inc.Transparency Internationalsince (verb) (after -te form of verb)TIThe Corruption Perceptions Index (published by thenote 1(see the rankings in the following table),2021As of 2006, the Czech Republic was the world's 180th country.49th(the lower the lower the corruption), Slovakia is56thThe first is.EUIn the rankings within,27 countriesThe Middle Czech Republic.19No. 1, Slovakia is the22It is lagging behind many other member countries in the second place.

This article will explore the historical background and recent developments regarding political corruption in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Demonstration in Slovakia (Photo:Peter Tkac / Flickr [CC BY-SA 2.0])

History of Czechoslovakia

To provide some background on the issue, we will begin with a brief review of the history of the two countries. The Czech Republic was ruled by the Habsburgs from the 16th century onward, followed by the Austro-Hungarian Empire.under control (e.g. of territory)Slovakia, on the other hand, came under Hungarian rule in the 11th century. In 1914, World War I broke out, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire was embroiled in war. Then Tomas Masaryk, who later became the first president of Czechoslovakia, decided in 1915, during the war, that the Czech Republic and Slovakia, based on the principles of nationalism and democracyJointly Founding a NationIn 1918, after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the end of World War I, the Czech Republic and Slovakia achieved joint independence and the Czechoslovak Republic was established.

Nazi Germany in 1939.occupationThe democratic system collapsed, but after World War II, President Edvard Benesch returned from exile in 1945 with the support of the Soviet Union, and the republican government was reconstituted. However, the Communist Party won many seats in the 1946 general elections and moved into most of the state power. Later, in 1948, with the support of the Soviet Union, the communist forces of thecoup d'étatThe coup d'état led to the resignation of President Benesch. This coup d'état made Czechoslovakia a communist country and a satellite of the Soviet Union, and in the 1960s, when economic stagnation led to people's desire for democracy and liberalization, the Communist Party embarked on political and economic reforms. in 1968, reforms aimed at "socialism with a human face" were promoted, and this The situation was "thePrague Spring (1968 reform movement in Czechoslovakia)It is known as the "War of the Soviet Union. However, in the summer of the same year, a military crackdown was carried out by the Soviet Union and the armies of five Warsaw Pact countries (*2) in an attempt to suppress the democratic movement.

With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, protests against communist rule erupted in Eastern countries. In November and December of the same year, a nationwide protest movement in Czechoslovakia, the "velvet revolutionThe "Czechoslovakia" also emerged from the communist system. Later, when considering a new constitution and state structure, the differences in economic size and population between the Czech Republic and Slovakia came up for discussion, and in 1990, instead of full integration, the Czech Republic and Slovakia became a federal republic. However, the prime ministers of the two countries, who took office in the 1992 elections, began discussing separation due to policy differences. As a result of the talks, in 1993 the two countriesPeaceful separationThe Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic were born.

On the issue of corruption

After separation, the Czech Republicbicameral systemSlovakia is a country withunicameral systemThe former Soviet republics and satellite states are also plagued by political corruption, which has been a problem in the former Soviet republics and satellite states. This was the case in the former Soviet republics and their satellites.Common ProblemsIt is one of the For example, we mentioned at the beginning ofRanking of Corruption Perception Indexabout the former Soviet satellite state of the Soviet Union.EULooking at the member countries, we see that Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria are all ranked low among the 27 EU member countries: 17th, 19th, 22nd, 25th, 26th, and 27th, respectively.

During the period of Soviet rule, all laws and government institutions in each country were subordinate to the Communist Party, and there was no division of power, independence of the judiciary, or freedom of the press. As a result, during the economic transformation that followed the fall of the communist regime, opportunities for corruption wereSignificant increaseIt is believed that this was the case. In many countries that have liberalized and privatized after the collapse of the communist system, the fact that accommodations are made between the public and private sectors in exchange for the newly gained wealth isgeneralThe situation has become a At various stages, from relatively low levels of administrative corruption, such as bribery, to self-serving misappropriation of public resources by officials, to the seizure of the state by corrupt networks built up with the generalization of such abuse of public power.decayThe liberalization of the Soviet Union has been seen in the past. While the Soviet-era system lacked transparency, liberalization brought about stronger ties between wealth and power, and corruption (*3) became widely prevalent.

The Czech parliament (photo:OSCE Parliamentary Assembly / Flickr [CC BY-SA 2.0])

Next, we will look at corruption and corruption common to both countries, particularly in terms of the administrative and judicial aspects of the problem. Based on a classification of reports on corruption in each country by Gan Integrity, a company that operates a corporate risk management platform,Czech RepublicandSlovakiaWe will look at the corruption taking place in the

First, we will discuss corruption in public administration. In both countries, corruption in the area of public procurement is a problem. When companies and governments enter into contracts, bribes and irregular money flows aregeneralThis is said to be the case. It is said that the government gives preferential treatment to companies that have paid certain bribes when bidding, and that the companies are able to obtain more contracts with more favorable conditions than other companies. At the same time, the target to companies and individualsDiversion of fundsIt is also noted that Also, in both countries, when most firms receive public services such as business licenses from government agencies,Bribery and connectionsThis suggests that the tendency to use This also suggests corruption in the public service sector.

Next, we will look at corruption in the judiciary. In both countries, corruption is widespread in the judiciary and police, the very sectors that are supposed to crack down on corruption and corruption. Bribery of courts and judges is widespread, and there is a tendency to obtain favorable judicial decisions in exchange for money.pointing outThe independence of the judiciary has also been an issue. The independence of the judiciary is also an issue, and political influence in the courts has been a problem from time to time. Bribery and abuse of authority have also been observed in the police, but political influence has further hindered investigations into corruption.pointing outThe company has been

The following sections will present the recent problems of the two countries individually.

Political Corruption in the Czech Republic

From this point on, the political corruption in the Czech central governmentcurrent statusThe following is a follow-up to the first two years of the separation of the two countries. After the secession, until now, elections have brought several governments to power, most of which have been deposed due to corruption and political scandals. Most of the privatizations have taken place1992Since the year1997In the period of two years, the Citizens Democratic Party (ODSThepolitical powerand many corrupt practices related to privatization, such as those described above, were taking place.1998Since the year2002In 1949, the Social Democratic Party (CSSD) takes power, but ran the previous government.ODSto be only a "Contractual oppositionpositioned as "the government of the people," and in fact both parties shared important political and bureaucratic posts. As a result, during this period, corruption related to the administration wassurgeThe government was reported to have done the same. Political scandals continued to plague subsequent administrations. 

Under these circumstances, society's perception of corruption gradually changed. Although corruption in the political world was not considered a social problem in the early years after the secession, as the number of investigations and reports on corruption increased over the years, corruption became a political and social discussion-focussedThe first time, the company was in the process of becoming a2010Since the year2013Over the course of the year, theODSA coalition government was formed around the This coalition government included the Veči Vežine party (VVfrom within the administration also participated.Crackdown on CorruptionThe company set up a However, corruption did not improve during this period, and eventually the prime minister himself was associatedscandalindicates certainty, emphasis, etc.2013The coalition government came to an end in 2006. 

2012Since the year2018In the ranking of the Corruption Perceptions Index over the yearimprovementwas seen, but corruption was still a problem during this period. And2018Since the year2021Corruption worsened again with the administration over the next two years. During this period, the billionaire Andrei Babis was in power. He promised to fight corruption, but in reality, his reign did not improve corruption, but rather led to more corruption in public institutions.confusionIt is said to have brought about the

Former Czech Prime Minister Babis (Photo:NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])

Babis' political strategy was to leave politics to the experts to solve problems and let the people passively enjoy them. This approach has been described by political scientists Lenka Bustikova and Petra Guasti as "technocratic populismThis is consistent with what I have called the "new government. While it sounds good to say that it combined the allure of access to technical expertise with populism, the reality was that it expanded the power of the executive branch, making political parties, courts, and other institutions out of reach of the public. As a result, corruption and corruption became less public. Thus, Babis took control of state institutions and used his power toIncreased assetsThe following is a list of the most common problems with the

Mr. Babis' scandal had the greatest impact,2007in the yearEUThe grant of theUnauthorized useThe case began with the discovery that he had bought and owned Agrofert, a publicly owned company during the communist era, before he became prime minister. This was the result of his acquisition and ownership of Agrofert, a public corporation during the communist era, before he became prime minister. After his acquisition, he turned the enterprise into everything from food-related to fertility clinics.300A conglomerate consisting of more than*3), and had developed it into a large and profitable company. Through this agrofart conglomerateEUTo collect grants forFalse declarationThe subsidies collected in this way were used to build a complex consisting of a hotel, leisure center, and conference center. The subsidy collected in this way was used to build a complex consisting of a hotel, leisure center, and conference center.2011It was completed in 2006.2019counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)4The day after the police recommended that Mr. Babis be prosecuted for the incident in June, he appointed a new Minister of Justice and avoided prosecution.

The scandal lit the fuse for many Czech citizens.2019The Velvet Revolution of 194930On the eve of the anniversary, the capital Prague demands the resignation of Prime Minister BabisMassive demonstrationThe demonstration, which drew more than 250,000 people, was held at the1989It was the largest protest movement since the Velvet Revolution of 1964. During the demonstrations, the people gathered to demand Babis' resignation as prime minister and accountability for the incident. Babis rejected the demands and said that the incident that started the demonstrations was a fabrication.claimThe first time, the company was in a position to do so.

A view of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic (Photo:Erik Cooper / Flickr [CC BY 2.0])

2021A new scandal was also uncovered during the general election period in 2006, when Babis was up for re-election. financial transactions through tax havens.2021Exposed in 2006.Pandora's boxMr. Babis' name appeared in the He is a member of the2009group of foreign companies in 2006.controland was exposed as having financed the purchase of his mansion in France through a complex offshore structure. According to the Pandora documents, he was able to transfer funds from companies he owned in the British Virgin Islands, a tax haven, to Washington, D.C., U.S.A., to the U.S.D.C.The company used a series of secret loans to move money to its subsidiary in Monaco through a company in15 million eurosThe company was alleged to have procured the One Czech tax expert described this series of property transfers as an attempt to conceal ownership of the company and its property.Complex structureThe company states that it is

This was done under these circumstances2021The general election in 2006 was to address corruption andpoint at issueIt became one of the While Babis' ruling party is regaining support for its measures against the new coronavirus pandemic, the anti-corruption Prisach party (Prisaha) was newly established and was steadily gaining supporters. The election, which was expected to be hotly contested, ended in victory for the opposition, and the five anti-Babis partiescoalition governmentwas born.

Political Corruption in Slovakia

Next, we will discuss political corruption in Slovakia in recent years. In Slovakia, since separating from the Czech Republic1998Up to the year,Authoritarian and undemocratic politicswas taking place.1998The coalition government created by the year-end elections isPrevention of spoilageThe company set out to work on the following,1999At the end of the year, a draft national anti-corruption program was prepared. However, corruption has remained a serious problem since then,2018before the year ...EUindicates certainty, emphasis, etc.corruptionThe country was listed as one of the countries that had

Such is Slovakia.2006Since the year2018In the period up to the year 2000.3The man who ran the administration on two occasions was Robert Fico (*4(See also.) In his government, the close relationship between criminals and powerful politicianspointing outand because of the high association between the crimes arising therefrom and political corruption.mafia stateThis system, which was even implied to be "a system of the government," was so pervasive in the police and judiciary that many political corruptions and organized crimes were not made public and remained hidden.

Former Slovak Prime Minister Fico (Photo:EU2017EE Estonian Presidency / Flickr [CC BY 2.0])

The public protests against this state of affairs are2012It has been growing since around 2006, but the most significant protests took place in2018It was the year 2000. Jan Kuchak and his fiancée, a young journalist who was investigating the Fico regime's ties to organized crime groups.2018counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)2Month.killingThe case began with the murder of a woman in Slovakia, who was found to have been murdered by her husband in a car accident. The police investigation into the murder led to the collection of a large amount of evidence and the discovery of a number of previously hidden and rampant Slovakpolitical corruptionwas revealed. The results,1989The largest protests since the Velvet Revolution of 1964 were2018counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)2The event was held in June. Hundreds of thousands of people protested across the country, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Fico and his administration officials, just weeks after the murder of the journalist.2018counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)3In May, Mr. Fico appointed Prime MinisterresignThe first time, the company was in a position to do so.

2020The public's focus was also on fighting corruption in the general elections held in 2006. OĽaNO, a party that pledged to crack down on corruption, won the general election, creating a three-party coalition government.

TI, which publishes the Corruption Perceptions Index, is committed to corruption in 2020 and beyond.Slovak Government ResponseThe first is the establishment of institutions to prevent corruption, such as new anti-corruption laws and the establishment of anti-corruption tools; in 2021, the government established institutions such as the Whistleblower Protection Bureau and the Supreme Administrative Court. However, the need for further measures in this categorypointing outThe company has been

The second concerns guaranteeing the independence of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies. Since 2020, the Slovak authorities have had dozens of high-ranking officials, including a former attorney general and the heads of the police and tax authorities, arrested on suspicion of corruption.trialThe country has been evaluated as having shown great success in this category. As part of the results of these anti-corruption measures, Slovakia's 2021 Corruption Perception Index has decreased from the previous year by a score of 100 points to3 pointsThe increase was due to the rise in the number of

Protests against the murder of journalists in Slovakia (Photo:Peter Tkac / Flickr [CC BY-SA 2.0])

Summary and Future

As we have seen, the Czech Republic and Slovakia have been marked by political corruption in recent years. This section will conclude with a look at the current situation in both countries.

In the Czech Republic, the coalition government2021A new coalition government was formed in 2006, and it was hoped that corruption would improve. However,2022counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)6In May, officials from the parties that make up the coalition governmentcorruption scandalwas reported.

On the other hand, Slovakia still has a long way to go to improve corruption. Disagreements within the coalition government are taking longer to make policy decisions, and the government is being forced to deal with the new coronavirus, which is undermining the resources it can devote to anti-corruption efforts.pointing outThe fact that the government is still in the process of being Also, the fact that the person who was building the network of corruption is still in politicsquestion (e.g. on a test)It is viewed as a

Both countries still have a lot of work to do to improve corruption, but we hope that things will move in the right direction in the future.

note 1　Indicates the extent to which the public sector in each country is perceived to be corruptindicatorThe following is a list of the most common problems with the0〜tilde100The score is expressed on a scale from 1 to 5, with a lower score meaning more corrupt.

*2　1955A military alliance formed in 1949 between the Soviet Union and its satellites in Central and Eastern Europe. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization of the Western Powers ((NATO)and the Cold War.confrontationThe first time, the company was in a position to do so. 

*3　A conglomerate is a business entity that spans other industries, formed through mergers and acquisitions between companies in different industries.

*4　Mr. Fico is a member of the2006Since the year2010Year,2012Since the year2016Year,2016Since the year2018Up to the year3over a period of ...He served as prime minister.The following is a list of the most common problems with the

Writer: Haruka Gonno

Graphics: Takumi Kuriyama

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