Advertisement

Italy to lead G20 anti-corruption efforts

Author thumbnail
Italy to lead G20 anti-corruption efforts
Italy has been entrusted to lead the G20's anti-corruption efforts. Photo: Images of Money/Flickr

On the same day Italy's former prime minister was indicted for bribery, the world's largest economies decided to entrust the country with leading its anti-corruption efforts.

Advertisement

Members of the G20 on Wednesday decided that Italy, along with Australia, should take over the presidency of the anti-corruption working group.

It is the first time Italy has taken over the presidency of such a group, the government said.

The decision will likely come as a surprise to many, particularly as a recent report found that a tenth of contracts awarded for public sector work in Italy are corrupt. This makes Italy three times more corrupt than France and 10 times more than the Netherlands.

Yesterday Silvio Berlusconi, the three-time former prime minister, was himself indicted for corruption. The billionaire stands accused of bribing a senator to the tune of €3 million.

Similar allegations have marred political circles in other parts of Italy. Just this week a Milan council was dissolved over its alleged links to the mafia.

Italy is not, however, the most corrupt of the G20 countries. The country ranks 72nd on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, far ahead of Russia’s 133rd place.

Don't miss a story about Italy - Join us on Facebook and Twitter

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also