Skopje, 23 February 2023 (MIA) – The Institute for Democracy presented the analysis of the condition of corruption by 2030 on Thursday. It aims to enable a preparation of long-term strategic planning, which will take into account future possibilities in the fight against this negative societal phenomenon. Researcher Misha Popovikj said that we are often times caught off guard by a new form of corruption and that the idea of the analysis is to develop a discussion about what we can expect.

“This is a foresight analysis, an analysis of what corruption will look like by 2030, so that we can create a long-term strategic plan and take new possible conditions into account. We are often caught off guard by new forms of corruption, new practices, and new problems. The idea of this analysis was to develop a discussion about what to expect,” Popovikj told reporters before the "Anticorruption 2030: Present and Future Anticorruption Challenges" conference.

He said it is not easy to predict the future, but that the analysis aims to start a process that will factorize and prepare for all extenuating factors in the fight against corruption, such as economic development and conflicts.

“We also expect a risk of arms trafficking, an extenuating circumstance in the fight against corruption, economic development or the lack of development means migration, less people in the fight against corruption, less supporters. We must start preparing now for what 2030 may look like,” he added.

Popovikj said that one of the topics of discussion is further development of institutions, regardless of the will to deal with this phenomenon, in regard to the general situation in this country, where corruption is ever-present in society, despite constant calls to fight against it.

“With greater political will, things will move along faster. Even without it, there are options, through international aid, and within the reform forces that exist in every political party and the institutions,” he said.

He said that the institutions are developing certain resilience, under pressure from the public, journalists, certain reformists and international pressure.

When asked if we can expect for the relatives of office holders, judges and prosecutors to fight crime and corruption, Popovikj said that internal mechanisms can develop under certain pressure and strengthened internal control, which would prevent a conflict of interest and the removal of immediate family in investigations against politicians.

The analysis was made in cooperation with the leading institutions of the country that are fighting against corruption, such as the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption, the State Audit Office, Customs Administration, Public Revenue Office, Inspection Council, Competition Protection Commission, Financial Police, as well as representatives of the civil society, as part of the process of strategic planning to cope with the challenges in the fight against corruption. dk/ik/