The session will focus on the possible side effects of large-scale corruption investigations in contributing to the rise of populist and/or anti-establishment radical movements. The session will discuss whether and under which circumstances the exposure of corruption networks may fuel radicalism, populism and/or legitimacy crises and what the consequences for the anti-corruption movement may entail. The anticorruption movement has dedicated a great deal of effort to developing mechanisms aimed at exposing corruption networks and prosecuting the corrupt. The proposed workshop innovates by drawing attention to the “day after”: the difficulties that may emerge in the wake of major corruption scandals. The workshop challenges the generally accepted theory that fighting and eventually diminishing corruption will necessarily strengthen democracy by itself. The unveiling of criminal activities in government and political parties is sometimes followed by great political instability, which may be attributed to: (i) the creation of a power vacuum due to the reputational damage suffered by traditional leaderships and parties; (ii) the fueling of cynicism towards the political establishment or, in extreme cases, towards public institutions themselves; (iii) the entrenchment of the idea that corruption is inevitable and merely a “part of the game”. Activists and institutions should take such negative consequences in consideration when designing its strategies in the fight against corruption. The session will be run in three parts, beginning with a presentation of three concrete cases and their lessons learned. From there, we will facilitate an open debate with the participants to incorporate other cases, experiences and views from different regions of the world. Finally, we will introduce the comparative balance sheet and propose strategic guidelines for future actions.
Session Rapporteur:
Fernanda Odilla
