Government reforms: departure for more transparency and less corruption!

Government reforms: departure for more transparency and less corruption!

Laimgrubengasse 10, 1060 Wien, Österreich - On March 7, 2025, Transparency International Austria welcomes the plans of the new federal government to reform the judicial system and to strengthen media variety. In particular, the introduction of an independent state prosecutor is seen as a crucial step for more transparency and the rule of law. Mag. Bettina Knötzl, the CEO of Transparency International Austria, was pleased with these developments: "It is gratifying that a demand that is as old as Transparency International Austria itself is to be implemented." These reforms are important to minimize political influence and to ensure more effective combating corruption. Nevertheless, the organization criticizes that important measures for corruption prevention and the protection of whistleblovers have not been taken into account in the government program.

challenges in combating corruption

Despite positive progress, there are significant deficits in corruption prevention. Similar to the previous demands of Transparency International, there is a clear need for structural changes in improving efficiency and transparency in public administration. The expansion of the number of government members, which is in contrast to the demands of slimming the structures, becomes critical. The inadequate protective measures for whistle providers are also in the focus of the criticism: "An expansion of the factual area of application to at least all economic crimes is necessary," demands Knötzl.

Another important topic is the lack of transparency among state advertisements that are often politically motivated. The government plans to reduce government advertising by 10 %, but it remains unclear how this can actually change the problems of political influence. Transparency International Austria will continue to critically accompany the implementation of these reforms and is actively committed to more integrity and transparency in politics, as well as ti-austria in their current reports on the problem and their associated anti-corruption project.