The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) cancelled a mission to Hungary to discuss anti-bribery measures due to the government’s failure to implement its previous recommendations.
The Paris-based OECD has been a driving force behind the global anti-corruption movement for more than four decades. However, this is the first time such a high-profile mission has been cancelled.
The meeting scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday was cancelled due to what the OECD called the failure of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government to ensure that ministers and high-ranking officials were represented at the event sufficiently.
The high-level mission decided on by the Working Group on Bribery in December 2023 was meant to address the Government of Hungary’s failure to make tangible progress in addressing long-standing recommendations.
According to the OECD, Budapest underestimates the risks of bribery. The organisation also cited the lack of an effective strategy for detecting and investigating corruption abroad.
The Working Group also remains seriously concerned about Hungary’s low level of foreign bribery enforcement.
The OECD stated that it would take additional measures to enable the Hungarian government to re-engage at an appropriate level.
