Growing Support for European Whistleblowers in Fight Against Corruption

According to a survey by Transparency International (TI), one in three Swedes thinks that whistleblowing is the most effective tool against corruption, 81 percent of Dutch people would report corruption if they witness it, but that a third of Italians are afraid to report it.

​Half of all young Europeans believe that ordinary people can make a difference in the fight against corruption, TI says.

According to the survey, support for populist and nationalist movements is on the rise in Europe for a variety of reasons, but chief among them is the failure of governments to properly address corruption and their perceived complicity in corrupt schemes.

"In EU countries many citizens see how the wealthy and those in government distort the system to their advantage. Governments are simply not doing enough to tackle corruption because individuals at the top are benefiting," Jose Ugaz, Chair of Transparency International told Sputnik.

"By their very positions at the top of the power pyramid, corrupt elites and oligarchs are hard to remove. But we have seen that it can be done if people stand together to demand higher standards from their leaders and the judiciary acts independently to hold them to account," he said.

Retaliation Fears

In its latest report, People and Corruption: Europe and Central Asia, Transparency International spoke to nearly 60,000 citizens in 42 countries in Europe and Central Asia about their daily life experiences with corruption. 

One in three citizens in in the region think corruption is one of the biggest problems facing their country. This figure rises to two in three in Moldova, Spain and Kosovo, showing that urgent actions against the abuse of power and secret deals are needed.

​The campaign group highlighted the case Andrea Franzoso, who worked for the second largest railway company in Italy, Ferrovie Nord Milano.

He went to the police to report problems he faced at work related to an internal audit, which resulted in the president of the company stepping down and persuaded the Court of Milan to open a file for embezzlement and fraud.

However, he was shunned by his co-workers and moved from the audit unit to another office. He then sought the backing of TI to take his company to the Labor Court to fight for the restoration of his position.

"We can't fight corruption unless we fight the fear of speaking up. People must feel supported and protected, that's why we need EU-wide whistleblower protection to raise standards across Europe, so that individuals can come forward without fear of retaliation," said Carl Dolan, director of TI.