Bosnia and Herzegovina has “taken” the place of the second most corrupt country in Europe, Transparency International in BiH stated.
Namely, according to the findings of the Corruption Perceptions Index, which analyzes the perception of corruption in the public sector and ranks 184 countries based on 13 independent studies and surveys of experts and business entities, Bosnia and Herzegovina began 2025 with the worst result in the last decade.
Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded a significant drop in results and is ranked 114th out of 180 countries in the world, and has taken the place of the second most corrupt country in Europe.
BiH “achieves” this result thanks to the fact that it acts as a country in which there is a semblance of democracy and in which the integrity of the electoral process has been violated.
Parties in power are increasingly openly using non-transparent campaign financing practices and manipulating the rules of the electoral process through vote buying, intimidation and misuse of public resources. We witnessed this in the 2024 campaign, but also in the early elections in Republika Srpska in 2025.
Also, a significant complaint relates to the judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is exposed to political pressure, which is why it is generally unable to prosecute and sanction public officials who abuse their position.
“This year, our decision-makers have failed to pass two key laws in the field of the judiciary that were expected, and the proposals that are currently in circulation do not meet the recommendations of the Venice Commission, primarily on measures to prevent conflicts of interest, transparency, independence and the fight against corruption. Even the existing provisions on asset declarations and interests in the judiciary are not being applied consistently,” say TI BiH.
The judicial community itself has largely opposed these procedures and has called for their review before the Constitutional Court and the protection of personal data. The judiciary is expected to take concrete measures to combat corruption and organized crime, but there were many such unresolved scandals in our society in 2025, and what characterizes them is that they are all multi-million dollar. The judiciary is “loudly silent” on them.
A higher level of corruption is noticeable in countries with weaker environmental protection measures, where regulations, if they exist, cannot be implemented adequately. The reason for this is corruption that undermines the institutions responsible for environmental regulation and supervision.
