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Who Gets Prosecuted? Mapping Europe’s Fight Against Domestic and Cross-Border Corruption
The comparative report on the assessment and explanation of enforcement capabilities and performance of contrast of domestic and cross-border corruption in the EU is a first, design-oriented version of Deliverable which as the purpose to build the conceptual, methodological and data foundations for analysing how European criminal justice systems prevent, investigate, prosecute and sanction corruption,…
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Digital Transformation and Corruption: BridgeGap Maps Where AI Helps, Where the Gaps Remain
The research report by Aleksej Heinze, Alfredo Jimenez, Julien Hanoteau and Virginie Vial (KEDGE Business School), with contributions from Joras Ferwerda (Utrecht University) sets out a clear picture of how digital transformation, and especially artificial intelligence, is being discussed in anti-corruption research. It shows an area showing a real dynamic, which still depends on stronger…
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Machine Learning Detects Corruption Risk in Public Procurement
A case study on Danish public procurement contracts, 2016–2022 A new study from Utrecht University tests whether machine learning models can identify corruption risk in public procurement before a contract is awarded. The research applies twelve algorithms to 20,777 Danish procurement contracts covering the period 2016 to 2022. Its central finding is that the right…
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Political Finance in Europe: What Makes Transparency Enforcement So Tricky? – Data Story
Nicolas Soto Troncoso and Sofia Angeli In January 2026, the 11th Conference of the States Parties (CoSP) to the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) adopted resolution 11/7 on preventing and combating corruption by enhancing transparency in the funding of political parties, electoral candidatures, and campaigns. The resolution, the first of its kind dedicated to Article…
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Interactive Tools for Integrity of Organizations Launched at OECD GACIF by Glasgow University Team
The BridgeGap WP4 University of Glasgow team launched at OECD GACIF a systems map of integrity management systems and a self-assessment Integrity Management Barometer (IMB). The systems’ map allows policy makers and regulators to follow the loops of vicious and virtual cycles of corruption, gaining perspective of key risk interactions. The IMB is an interactive…
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How is Russia’s War Reshaping the European Far-Right? – New Publication
A new paper by Adam Holesch and the IBEI-BridgeGap team follows the positions of Russia of European parties. In the early phase of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, political unity in the European Parliament reached unusually high levels. Supporting Ukraine became the dominant norm, and deviating from it carried significant reputational and electoral costs. However,…
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Qatar Gate, a Missed Opportunity for Public Opinion as Well as Justice – New Publication
A new study by the BridgeGap team at the University of Perugia shows that the social media landscape around QatarGate was not fundamentally different from the era dominated by traditional media. Institutional actors — political and media alike — contributed to producing a biased and, at times, instrumentalized narrative on social platforms.Once again, the main…
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Why Measuring Transparency isn’t as Simple as it Sounds – And how BridgeGap is Changing that
When we talk about accountability and anti-corruption, one word shows up again and again: transparency. But here’s the problem: for years, researchers have struggled to measure transparency in a meaningful, comparable way across countries. Laws may look good on paper, but what actually happens in practice can be very different. That challenge is exactly what…
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Andrej Babiš’s Return and Europe’s Corruption Dilemma – Data Story
Massimo Privitera, University of Antwerp Photo Credits: Financial Times Czech voters have once again placed their trust in Andrej Babiš, a billionaire populist whose career has been shadowed by protracted legal battles over allegations of defrauding European Union funds. His ANO party brought him back to power, despite a fraud trial looming over him and…
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EU Funding in time of crisis: Is there a trade-off between swiftness and accountability?
Massimo Privitera, University of Antwerp The pattern has become drearily predictable: the European Union creates massive funding mechanisms to address pressing crises, only to see them become breeding grounds for fraud and corruption. As new allegations emerge about misused recovery funds, Brussels now proposes yet another instrument – the Security and Defence Facility (SAFE) –…
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Working Paper: Impact of Sanctions on Infiltration of Russia in Europe: The Kremlin’s Malign Influence Through Strategic Corruption
Photo Credits: US Naval Institute The BridgeGap Working Paper Series showcases cutting-edge research that bridges critical gaps in our understanding of corruption, its regulation, and the real-world impact of anti-corruption policies. Our latest publication, Working Paper 25-03, “Impact of Sanctions on Infiltration of Russia in Europe: The Kremlin’s Malign Influence Through Strategic Corruption” by BridgeGap…
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Disablers of Corruption: How Courts, Media, and Digital Citizens Shape Integrity in Europe
Massimo Privitera, University of Antwerp When it comes to curbing corruption, rules on paper are only part of the story. What truly matters is whether societies have the constraints—or “disablers of corruption”—that limit governments from abusing power or handing out public resources to favored groups. Recent research using the Index for Public Integrity (IPI) highlights…
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Working Paper: Digital Solutions Against Corruption? Leveraging Technology in (EU) Humanitarian Aid Operations in the MENA-region
Credits: European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations The BridgeGap Working Paper Series showcases cutting-edge research that bridges critical gaps in our understanding of corruption, its regulation, and the real-world impact of anti-corruption policies. Our latest publication, Working Paper 25-02, “Digital Solutions Against Corruption? Leveraging Technology in (EU) Humanitarian Aid Operations in the MENA-region” by…
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Greece’s Enduring Struggle with Corruption: Why Systemic Change Remains Elusive
Massimo Privitera, University of Antwerp Greece’s relationship with corruption represents one of the most persistent and puzzling cases in modern Europe. Despite multiple financial crises, international bailouts, and decades of reform promises, the country continues to grapple with systemic corruption that permeates its political and economic institutions. According to the 2025 Eurobarometer survey on Citizens’ attitudes towards corruption…
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Working Paper 25-01: Report Maps Public Procurement Data Across Europe
The BridgeGap Working Paper Series presents the first edition by BridgeGap members Andrea Longobucco and Joras Ferwerda of the University of Utrecht, part of the Work Package 6 on Artificial Intelligence on “Fighting Corruption with Artificial Intelligence: Searching for Suitable Public Procurement Data in the EU”. This report provides a groundbreaking comparative analysis of the…
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Data Story: How do Countries in Europe Compare in terms of Corruption?
Massimo Privitera, University of Antwerp Corruption remains a persistent challenge across Europe, manifesting in different forms depending on a country’s economic development, governance structures, and regulatory frameworks. While petty bribery is relatively rare in the European Union (averaging just 7% among the general population), more systemic issues like government favoritism in public procurement and cross-border…
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How Corruption Convictions Help Leaders Gain Support
by Manoel Gehrke & Feng Yang, The Loop July 9, 2025 We often attribute populism’s rise to structural factors — economic insecurity, digital technology, and cultural backlash. But Manoel Gehrke and Feng Yang reveal a more immediate trigger: former leaders’ conviction for corruption. In less democratic contexts, these rulings open the door for governments to…
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Leading EU Anti-Corruption Projects to Speak at Kyoto University Symposium
On July 19, 2025, two prominent Horizon Europe projects, BridgeGap and RESPOND, will participate in “Anti-Corruption Revisited: Institutions, Integrity, and Global Change,” a symposium held at Kyoto University. This global discussion will convene experts discussing the landscape of anti-corruption efforts worldwide. BridgeGap, a project dedicated to bridging gaps in evidence, regulation, and the impact of…
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Resisting Autocratization in Polarized Societies: BridgeGap and RESPOND at the 28th IPSA World Congress
BridgeGap will actively participate in the 28th IPSA World Congress of Political Science, taking place in Seoul, South Korea, from July 12-16, 2025. This premier international gathering, organized biennially by the International Political Science Association (IPSA), brings together leading academics, researchers, and consultants to discuss the latest research under the timely theme of “Resisting Autocratization…
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Europe: Guarding Integrity with Data-Driven Action Against Corruption
Against a backdrop of rising global tensions, Europe’s leadership in fighting corruption and defending democracy and public trust is more important than ever. As negotiations on a new anti-corruption directive progress, the European Union is stepping up with concrete actions—leveraging legal reforms and digital innovation to reinforce the rule of law and institutional integrity. Yet…