Europe鈥檚 grassroots anti-graft drive
Last Tuesday, about 80 university students from Serbia, who had cycled 780 miles across four countries, arrived in Strasbourg, France, the heart of the European Union. They went there to deliver a letter to EU leaders demanding action against corruption in their Balkan country, which is faltering in its efforts to join the 27-nation bloc.
The cross-border tour de force appears to have worked.
The next day, the EU commissioner in charge of the union鈥檚 enlargement strongly stated that the Serbian government needs to be 鈥渂rought back on the European track鈥� 鈥� meaning focused on better rule of law and transparency 鈥� following months of very large anti-corruption protests.
鈥淲hat we are demanding from Serbia ... is nearly exactly the same as what the protesters in Serbia are demanding,鈥� Commissioner Marta Kos said in an interview with the European Newsroom.
As one of the bicyclists told Serbia鈥檚 N1 cable news, 鈥淚 think we have woken up Europe.鈥�
In recent years, the EU has had many wake-up calls to the need to promote honest governance, not just in the nine states like Serbia aspiring to join the bloc, but also within its own member states.
Twice in the past three years, investigators have uncovered cash-for-influence scandals in the European Parliament. A leading politician in France, Marine Le Pen, has been barred for five years from running for president for misusing EU funds. In March, the European Public Prosecutor鈥檚 Office (EPPO) reported that it had more than 2,600 investigations last year 鈥� an increase of 38% from the previous year.
Laura K枚vesi, head prosecutor of EPPO, said the agency is investigating Serbia for the misuse of EU money in an apparent corruption case that caused the collapse of a railway station canopy in November, killing 16. She praised 鈥渢he mentality鈥� of Serbs in seeking to root out the cause of the collapse.
鈥淚f they want to live in a clean country and are fighting for it, I believe that is the most important development you can have in a country,鈥� she told Radio Television of Serbia.
More than 70% of reports on graft to the agency came from private citizens, a sign of widespread integrity in Europe. Such private initiatives are an indication of trust in EU prosecutors, Ms. K枚vesi told the International Monetary Fund. 鈥淲hat we do is not for us, it鈥檚 for the benefit of the people. That is justice.鈥�
