The Fight Against Corruption is a Spartan Long-Distance Race

A new legal framework for a more effective fight against corruption has been established with the EU Directive 32026L1021, published in the Official Journal of the European Union in May. The directive underscores that combating corruption is vital for the security of European democracy, the rule of law, and the implementation of legal principles.

This endeavor is described not as a single leap but as a long-distance race requiring Spartan persistence, self-discipline, and patience from the EU level down to local communities and vice versa. The new regulation focuses on the security of individuals and the vital interests of communities, moving beyond traditional top-down problem-solving.

It demands a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach, linking the fight against corruption and organized crime to collective security, the safety of people's lives, the vital interests of communities, and the functioning of essential institutions. Initial preparatory materials even included stricter security warnings about corruption enabling organized crime and opening doors to subversive practices involving hostile foreign influences on the internal security and democratic processes of the EU and its member states.

While the final text of the directive softened some of the sharp security warnings regarding corruption's link to organized crime and hostile foreign interference with diplomatic and political language, the core security logic remains unchanged. The directive firmly positions corruption as one of the most severe threats to citizens, democratic institutions, security, internal stability, the rule of law, and the vital interests of the Union and its member states. This directive aligns with the vision for an anti-corruption model in the coalition agreement of the new Slovenian government.

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The existing legal framework must be updated and strengthened to enable an effective fight against corruption throughout the Union.