Transparency International: Political pressure and lack of transparency, Serbia is slipping in the corruption index

Serbia has marked a deterioration in the Corruption Perceptions Index for 2025 published by the international organization Transparency International (TI), being rated with 33 points, two less compared to the previous year, when it had 35 points.

With this result, Serbia ranks among the worst-rated countries in Europe and the Western Balkans, remaining significantly below the global average of 42 points. According to TI, any score below 50 points indicates a serious level of perceived corruption in the public sector.

Growing pressure on justice institutions

In this year's report, Transparency International singles out Serbia as one of the countries where the weak response of the judiciary is considered a key obstacle to the fight against corruption. The organization notes that the Serbian Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office has faced increased pressure, especially following investigations into alleged abuses by members of the Government.

According to TI, these pressures have included government-led smear campaigns, obstruction of cooperation with the police, and legal changes that have weakened the institutional capacity to investigate organized crime and high-level corruption.

Secret agreement and removal of protection of cultural heritage

The Transparency International report also mentions Serbia in the context of a lack of transparency in decision-making on major investment projects. According to the organization, discretionary powers and the suspension of transparency rules have exposed public funds to the risk of corruption and damaged public trust.

In this context, TI mentions the case of the removal of legal protection from the former Yugoslav Army General Staff building in Belgrade, a cultural monument, to make way for the construction of a luxury hotel. The project was planned by the company of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, although in mid-December last year it was reported that Kushner had withdrawn from this investment.

According to TI, the case illustrates how non-transparent agreements with foreign investors and political interference in the protection of cultural heritage create a high risk of corruption.

Youth protests and demands for accountability

Transparency International points out that Serbia is among the countries with the lowest scores on the index, where there has been an increase in protests led by the younger generation in 2025. According to the report, young people have protested to demand accountability from the government and to oppose impunity.

Over the past year, Serbia has faced massive protests, initially due to the deaths of several people from the collapse of a concrete shelter at a railway station, while later the protesters' demands expanded to include calls for new elections and institutional accountability.

Serbia below the regional average

Compared to other Western Balkan countries, Serbia ranks among the weakest. Montenegro is rated with 46 points, North Macedonia with 40, Albania with 39, Bosnia and Herzegovina with 34, while Serbia with 33 points remains at the bottom of the regional list.

Transparency International warns that across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, weak institutions, concentration of power and democratic setbacks are fueling corruption and narrowing the space for civil society, with Serbia cited as a worrying example.

The global context

The report notes that the global average Corruption Perceptions Index has fallen to 42 points, the lowest level in more than a decade. Out of a total of 182 countries and territories, 122 are rated below 50 points.

At the top of the index for 2025 are Denmark, Finland and Singapore, while at the bottom of the list are Venezuela, Somalia and Sudan.

Transparency International explains that the index measures the perception of corruption in the public sector, including bribery, misuse of public funds, state capture and lack of transparency, but does not include direct citizen perceptions or corruption in the private sector.

The GEOPOST