2008 Assessment

This peer-reviewed country report includes:

Integrity Indicators Scorecard: Scores, scoring criteria, commentary, references, and peer review perspectives for more than 300 Integrity Indicators.

Reporter's Notebook: An on-the-ground look at corruption and integrity from a leading local journalist.

Corruption Timeline: Ten years of political context to today's corruption and integrity issues.

Country Facts: Statistical context for each country.

Italy continues to lag behind other Western nations in terms of its political financing regulations, judicial accountability mechanisms, and whistle-blowing protections. While the Prime Minister and Minister of Justice have both recognized the need for judicial reforms, the proposals to date have been "aimed at reducing powers of investigation" and tightening the judicial branch's connection to the executive rather than solving problems related to conflicts of interest. Italy's low score on whistle- blower protections is a reflection of the "double-faced" reality of corruption in Italy, where whistle-blower protections exist but a tight network of power often keeps bribery and cronyism hidden from public view. In addition, tax evasion remains a serious concern in Italy.