Greek gov’t ministers must fight corruption, top EU official says
Greek government ministers should increase transparency in their divisions by investigating matters brought to the European Ombudsman and by «personally assuming political responsibility for each case,» says European Ombudsman Nikiforos Diamandouros, in an interview with Kathimerini. Diamandouros also says that Greece has an adequate legal framework to combat corruption. The main causes of corruption, he says, are poorly functioning inspection mechanisms and the ineffective application of existing legislation. The Ombudsman also said he had submitted a proposal to Costas Simitis, who was then prime minister, for dealing with corruption in town planning services. And he stressed the importance of «the unhindered function of the Supreme Council for Personnel Selection (ASEP)» in boosting transparency in the public sector. Diamandouros added that he believes the greatest challenges for Greece at the moment are upgrading education, and dealing with health, social insurance and public administration issues.
