In 1999 the World Bank published an alarming report on the subject of corruption in this country. Since then there have been no shortage of conferences and all sorts of other activities which purported to tackle the subject. In 2000 the government of Jerzy Buzek created an anti corruption working body. And what have the effects been? Nothing.
According to reports by Transparency International corruption in this country has got to a state that some are calling catastrophic. Strong language indeed but last month this was supported by 58 percent of those questioned by polling organisation OBOP who consider corruption to have got worse in the past five years. Only 18 percent of those questioned think that things are going to get better, forty percent see no reason for change and 27 percent see the situation getting worse.
Krzysztof Jasiecki of the institute of philosophy and sociology at the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) says that in conversations with businesspeople he is convinced that they see the only way to get anything done as being to grease the right palm. Tenders are not worth the paper they are written on and far less any trouble to prepare the paperwork.
Hanna Ignaczewska, general director of the Gallop institute in this country, notes the negative effect that this has on foreign direct investment from those countries where it is not the done thing.
The fate of big companies is becoming increasingly the talk of the day for many. Their fate is not in the hands of the market but bent civil servants backed by bent politicians. The private sector is becoming increasing dependent on the public sector with all its negative consequences of the inevitable back hander.
Krzysztof Jasiecki thinks that corruption in Poland has two faces. It is a crime which should be punished. Then there is legal corruption. This is especially dangerous as it hits the economy directly. This would include things such as putting political nominees into top jobs in the civil service and state owned industries. It may also explain to some extent what may seem to be strange social behaviour such as the recent election results in France for example.
Hanna Ignaczewska goes as far as to say that corruption in this country is getting similar characteristics to Latin America.
— Look at Argentina — she says — the whole free market and almost the democratic system almost collapsed because of the weak and highly corrupt government.
She thinks that Poland could end up going the same way.
Of course the fight against corruption is one of the preferred subjects amongst the Polish political elite. Most parties and their followers see it as a good way of keeping favour with the masses. It is even expected that politicians will pay at least lip service to the fight.
Julia Pitera, the head of Transparency International Polska notes that the way into parliament is to claim to fight corruption. When the ratings drop, the government finds twenty state firms involved in dodgy deals. However attractive these fine words are, they are nothing but that, fine words.