EU Aid for Fighting Corruption in the Czech Republic and Slovakia: Where Did It Go Wrong?

Abstract

During the Eastern enlargement process of the European Union (EU), the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) were supported by the Union in terms of combating corruption issues. This was seen as a key step in their transformation towards liberal democracy and eventual accession to the EU. This article questions the extent of influence which the EU has had in terms of dealing with problems of corruption in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, both during and after their accession to the Union. It is noted that during the accession process the EU utilised a number of instruments to support accession states, such as the Czech Republic and Slovakia, fight corruption. Regardless of these incentives, the corruption records of both countries improved little by the time they acceded to the EU in 2004 and continues to be problematic in the post-accession era. It is suggested in this article that several dynamics, such as the absence of a clear and consistent policy from the EU and the importance of domestic politics in the acceding countries, help to explain why the fight against corruption in these two central European states has been and continues to be so weak.