Corruption, State Capture, and Populism in the European Union

This paper investigates the interplay among corruption, state capture, and populism in the European Union. Although often associated with post-communist states, corruption has expanded across the EU since the early 2000s, affecting long-established democracies in Western and Southern Europe as well. The study first identifies these broader regional trends and traces the diffusion of state capture within the Union. It then offers a comparative analysis of cases from Western, Southern, and Eastern Europe to illustrate how political elites have reshaped administrative institutions, the judiciary, media systems, and civil society in order to entrench power and weaken mechanisms of accountability. Despite recent reforms and monitoring efforts, the EU continues to face structural and institutional constraints that limit effective enforcement. These developments have enabled populist actors to mobilize support by framing state capture and corruption as failures of both national and EU-level governance. The paper shows how anti-EU and anti-corruption narratives have become central tools for populists seeking to expand their electoral coalitions, ultimately challenging the Union’s democratic integrity.