Natasha Srdoc on corruption in Croatia, Slovenia and the Balkans

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Submitted by yadranko on Thu, 06/06/2013 - 05:45
Statement from Natasha Srdoc, Chairman, Adriatic Institute on former PM Janez Jansa's conviction in the Slovene bribery case connected to Finland's Patria company and the pin-prick strike against colossal corruption in Croatia, Slovenia and the Balkans:

It is vitally important to root out rampant corruption in SE Europe and address the $111.6 billion in illicit financial outflows via crime, corruption and tax evasion during 2001-2010 which has devastated economies, left millions of youth with an uncertain future and marginalized citizens with punitive taxes and the heavy weight of debt.

Convicting Slovenia's former PM Janez Jansa and Croatia's former PM Ivo Sanader on bribery cases are pinprick strikes against colossal corruption in the region.   Illicit wealth must be confiscated, specifically in the five nations of SE Europe which are part of NATO, namely, Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Slovenia.

A principled stand would be to invite visiting judges and prosecutors from strong rule of law nations to help recover illicit financial outflows, confiscate illicit enrichment within SE Europe and establish the rule of law. The United States and Europe's citizens have poured nearly $100 billion of taxpayer aid in the region and have also supported Balkan nations' entrance into Euro-Atlantic institutions with financial and technical assistance.

Now, the task before us all is to address colossal corruption in the region and free an oppressed people affected by the twin legacies of communism - disregard for private property rights and the inheritance of institutional power by networks of corrupt government officials and their private partners in crime.

The economic and security threats from SE Europe's unreformed nations and the perilous Balkan Route does not only affect Balkan citizens; it places the West - its citizens and taxpayers at significant risk. 

The rule of law and protection of property rights must be held - and those in the West including entities and individuals in Austria and Liechtenstein and other nations aiding and providing assistance to Balkan corrupt politicians, their private partners in crime and Balkan Route connected to terrorist networks must be held to account.

Natasha Srdoc
Chairman
Adriatic Institute for Public Policy