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Experts disappointed with Hungary’s anti-corruption efforts

Posted at 4:45 AM, Aug 01, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-01 07:45:14-04

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A body of international experts says that Hungary’s efforts to implement anti-corruption recommendations for lawmakers and the judiciary are “globally unsatisfactory.”

The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption, knows as GRECO, said Thursday that Hungary has adopted only five of its 18 anti-graft proposals.

GRECO said “determined measures” were needed to improve transparency in parliament, including better asset declarations, a code of conduct for lawmakers and a review of their “broad immunity.”

Some older GRECO reports, finally allowed by the Hungarian government to be published, showed that experts, for example, described the transparency of party financing as “overall disappointing.”

Hungary is one of the few European Union countries staying out of the fledgling European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which will investigate the use of EU funds starting in 2020.