In an interview posted on the website of the 15th International Anti-Corruption Conference, the director of Transparency International’s Russian chapter Elena Panfilova discussed the changes that anti-corruption work in the country has faced in the last decade and the perspectives for further change in the future.
Ms. Panfilova highlighted that the context for anti-corruption work in Russia nowadays is very different than 10 years ago, mostly because of the increase in public awareness about the need to fight corruption and in public support to the work of activists. Moreover, she mentioned that the last years have seen a boost in the participation of citizens in grassroot political initiatives at the local level, something that is not typical for Russia, a country without a strong civil society tradition.
Asked about current concerns regarding the fight against corruption in Russia, Ms. Panfilova raised attention to the lack of substantive reforms by public authorities, despite increasing pressure from the public in favor of measures to reduce corruption.
She also mentioned some of the initiatives conducted by her organization, such as the implementation of Advocacy and Legal Advice Centers, educational measures to youth and small businesses, and activities to monitor procurement, access to public information and political finance, among other things.
Regarding perspectives for future anti-corruption work, she emphasized the importance of continued citizen support and engagement for changes in the political arena, despite recent electoral results. Ms. Panfilova called on people to focus on the issues of their everyday life and try to make contributions at the local level.
For more details read the full interview on 15iacc.org. The picture of Ms. Panfilova shown above is also featured in the article.
