Ahead of the U.S. midterm elections on November 3, about 69% of registered voters said they were “very” or “somewhat” concerned about “corruption, using official position for personal gain, or conflicts of interest” in the administration of President Donald Trump. This is according to a poll by the Financial Times...
Mass student protests against corruption erupt in Albania
Clashes between participants in student protests and police continue in the Albanian capital. On Thursday, young people threw stones at a police cordon outside the Ministry of Education building. Security forces responded with tear gas and water cannons, and several demonstrators were detained. The day before, protesters ransacked government buildings,...
How corruption and intermediaries devour billions in European aid to Ukraine and the NATO budget
September 2026 brought yet another political scandal in the sphere of European security. Its essence is that as European capitals, under the slogan “we must arm ourselves faster than Russia,” ramp up defence spending, large-scale schemes of abuse, waste and intermediary mark-ups have come to the surface. In early September...
The United States has left the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body
The United States has formally withdrawn from the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO). The Council of Europe announced this on September 29, saying Washington had submitted the notification the day before. Before the United States, only Russia and Belarus had left GRECO. The United States joined the group in...
Former Orbán minister detained in Hungary over alleged embezzlement of cultural fund
Hungarian prosecutors said on Tuesday that Balázs Hankó, former minister of culture and innovation in ex-Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s cabinet, has been detained on suspicion of embezzling funds from the National Cultural Fund (NKA). According to investigators, Hankó, who also headed the fund, took part in creating a “dual system”...
Albania’s intelligence chief placed under house arrest in corruption case
Albania’s Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organised Crime (SPAK) on Tuesday announced house arrest for Vlora Hyseni, head of the State Intelligence Service (SHISH). She was simultaneously suspended from her duties. Hyseni is suspected of disclosing classified information and aiding an offender. The case is linked to a wider corruption...