Spain

Spain has experienced major corruption scandals in the past decade, but its mediocrely rated judiciary did manage to sentence record numbers of local, regional and national powerful figures for corruption. The lack of full autonomy of the judiciary from partisan interest is the main IPI component dragging down Spain: otherwise the country has decent autonomy of bureaucracy from political authorities and an administration which works well for the citizen. However, its public accountability framework show it lagging behind EU average on sanctions for conflict of interest or lack of transparency, where issued had arisen; furthermore, its procurement regulation also needs an upgrade to best practices in the EU. The strong demand for good governance is often instrumentalized by populist politics, but the number of e-citizens and the activism of non-partisan civil society are strong assets.