At the last Cabinet meeting of the year, an interesting legislative proposal was presented by the Ministry of Justice concerning the Digital Registry of Corruption Cases. This proposal will be submitted for public consultation after the holidays and is expected to become law by early spring at the latest, while in practice it will operate through a specialized digital platform that is almost ready.
With the Corruption Cases Registry, Greece aims to improve its poor performance in international evaluations on corruption, particularly regarding judicial handling and resolution of cases involving state and other officials.
Before examining what the bill presented just before Christmas at the Cabinet entails, it is important to understand the need for establishing this special Corruption Cases Registry and where Greece stands in recent international corruption measurements.
Unfortunately, the picture is not good. Greece, a member of the European Union for nearly 50 years and approaching 25 years within the European monetary framework, is below the European average in corruption matters.
In other words, it is a country where corruption levels are moderate to high, as measured for 2024 using the widely recognized Corruption Perception Index (CPI), which records corruption in the public sector based on data from experts and businesses.
Corruption, which dominates political disputes and significantly shapes public debate over government practices and decisions on critical issues, as well as the functioning of many important sectors of public administration and the state in general, is a key metric in evaluating any country’s rule of law and adherence to fair competition rules.
According to international evaluations (CPI), in 2024 Greece held the dismal 59th position out of 180 countries worldwide—a rank that is far from flattering regarding state functioning and government performance. While some measures have been taken, as noted in international and European assessment reports, they have not reversed the perception of a country where corruption plays a significant role and is widely perceived in critical sectors.
This low international ranking places Greece below the European average, approximately at the 64th international position, with other EU countries ranking much higher. Some, like Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and others, display a “clean” image regarding corruption.
Even within Europe, Greece scored 49th on a 0-to-100 scale (0 being the worst, 100 the best in corruption), indicating corruption levels ranging from medium to high.
The conclusion of international and European evaluations over recent years is that Greece is not among the most corrupt countries globally, but on a European scale, despite legislative and other measures taken in recent years, it remains in a “rather negative situation,” ranking below the EU average.
The situation is not better regarding the performance of Greece’s judicial system, which is responsible for investigating and resolving corruption cases. The Rule of Law Index ranks Greece low in Europe, particularly regarding the timely administration of justice in corruption cases.
Concerns focus on delayed justice in corruption cases, as many trials drag on for years, investigations can take years, and numerous cases have reached the statute of limitations, leading to impunity. Slow justice and, in some instances, inadequate investigation in corruption cases undermine the credibility and effectiveness of the judicial system, as noted in European evaluations.
The course of specific cases illustrates this. The Siemens case, which dragged through courts for years and ultimately ended due to the statute of limitations, and the Novartis case, where doctors who were central to the corruption were not punished and their responsibilities lapsed, are concrete examples of how major corruption cases are handled judicially.
Of course, there have been cases with substantial judicial handling, such as defense procurement cases involving former Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, or earlier cases like Koskotas more than three decades ago. However, these exceptions do not define the overall effectiveness of Greek justice regarding corruption.
Polls on citizen perception of corruption in the public sector depict widespread acknowledgment of corrupt practices. In a recent Eurobarometer survey, the numbers are striking: 97% of Greek citizens stated that corruption is very widespread in the country—a higher percentage than in other EU member states.
Given this context, at both the international and European level, the Digital Registry of Corruption Cases is intended to serve a clear purpose.
It is a digital system for recording and monitoring corruption cases from the moment an investigation begins until a final (appeal court) or irrevocable (Supreme Court) decision is issued, along with a record of all imposed penalties and sanctions.
This registry will be interconnected, with access granted to prosecutorial authorities (national and European), the Ministry of Justice, and other independent authorities such as the Anti-Money Laundering Authority, the Transparency Authority, and others involved in prosecuting corruption cases (Economic Police, Independent Public Revenue Authority), among others.
The goal of the Registry, as explained at the Cabinet meeting by Minister Giorgos Floridis and Deputy Minister of Justice Ioannis Bougas, is to provide a comprehensive overview of the progress of corruption cases. This will enable well-documented efforts to combat corruption, facilitate accurate tracking of cases, and support the evaluation of Greece at European and international levels.
The registry aims to impact critical areas, including the country’s perception regarding rule of law, fair competition, institutional functioning of the political system, as well as development, investment, and increased economic activity.