ISSUE: 2/2026
- Volume 30
- Number 2
- 2026
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Studia Europejskie –
Studies in European Affairs
ISSN: 1428-149X
e-ISSN: 2719-3780
License
Articles published in the journal are under a Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial – No Derivatives 4.0 International License
Publication co-financed by Ministry of Science and Higher Education pursuant to the Regulation of the Minister of Education and Science of 3 August 2021 (Journal of Laws of 2021, item 1514) on the “Development of Scientific Journals” programme.
Publikacja dofinansowana przez Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego na podstawie rozporządzenia Ministra Edukacji i Nauki z 3 sierpnia 2021 r. (Dz. U. z 2021 r. poz. 1514) w sprawie programu „Rozwój czasopism naukowych”.
Publication co-financed by the University of Warsaw within the “Excellence Initiative – Research University” programme.
Czasopismo otrzymało dofinasowanie w ramach Programu „Inicjatywa Doskonałości – Uczelnia Badawcza”.
Corruption: A Threat to the Prosperity and European Integration Aspirations of the Republic of North Macedonia
Abstract
Corruption is commonly understood as the abuse of public office for personal gain. It is generally defined as the misuse of public authority for the benefit of certain individuals or entities. More recently, under the pressure of expanding inclusiveness, corruption has come to encompass not only the abuse of public office, but also the abuse of power and influence vested in an individual by virtue of holding a political office, occupying an influential corporate position, possessing personal wealth or access to significant resources, or enjoying elevated social status. Corruption hinders normal economic growth and sustainable development, weakens the functioning of democratic institutions, and significantly affects the lives of citizens and the activities of business organisations. For this reason, it is important that corruption should not be reduced solely to its monetary form – namely bribery, but should instead encompass a broad range of behaviours, such as conflicts of interest, patronage, nepotism, embezzlement, influence peddling, and the manipulation of legislative processes. As such, corruption is no longer always a matter of immediate or direct action and consequence. Rather, it is increasingly interpreted as a long-term process, especially when its purpose is to gain or maintain power and influence, as well as to expand geopolitical and economic influence. The subject of the study is North Macedonia, with a particular focus on the legal framework and assessment of international organisations, including both an examination of the country’s current situation in relation to corruption and concrete recommendations addressed to the government. To achieve the research objectives, the author used both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The findings indicate that the country has experienced considerable instability, characterised by continuous increases and decreases in corruption indices. When viewed comparatively alongside the Western Balkans countries, North Macedonia, together with Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo, shares the common characteristic of improving its performance in combating corruption.
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Language: English
Pages: 197-214
How to Cite:
Harvard
Shabani, F. (2026) "Corruption: A Threat to the Prosperity and European Integration Aspirations of the Republic of North Macedonia". Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs, 2/2026, pp. 197-214. DOI: 10.33067/SE.2.2026.10