Yet more than a decade after Bulgaria joined the EU, questions remain over its record in tackling corruption, while the presence of far-right minority parties in government has caused alarm. According to Transparency International’s corruption perceptions index, Bulgaria is the most corrupt country in the EU. Bulgaria managed to bring under control organised crime,” says Ruslan Stefanov, who leads CSD’s corruption monitoring programme. Photograph: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty ImagesHe argues, however, it is wrong to conclude Bulgaria is “the most corrupt country in the EU”, pointing to other surveys that give a more mixed picture than Transparency International. The presidency is far from the only reason why the EU may be less inclined to get tough with Sofia.

Source: The Guardian December 28, 2017 09:33 UTC