How did policy responses to the COVID-19 crisis affect corruption in public procurement? A comparative analysis of Italy and Germany (An INSPER Online Seminar)
Public procurement is crucial for effective crisis responses, but also prone to corruption. To ensure a swift provision of medical supplies in the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Union (EU) and its member states relaxed public procurement regulations. However, the implications for corruption are unknown. In this Academic Online Seminar of ISPER, Prof. Eva Thomann presents her work, which analyses how political responses to the COVID-19 crisis influence corruption in public procurement.
Public procurement is crucial for effective crisis responses, but also prone to corruption. To ensure a swift provision of medical supplies in the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Union (EU) and its member states relaxed public procurement regulations. However, the implications for corruption are unknown. This paper analyzes how the regulatory crisis responses affected risks and perceptions of corruption, by changing the public-private interactions and the regulatory environment for public procurement. We compare the contrasting cases of Italy and Germany and triangulate legal analyses, contract data, and an online survey of public administrations (N= 454) and businesses (N=175). In both countries, objective risks and subjective perceptions of corruption increased similarly as result of a low competitiveness of procedures, increased rule ambiguity, and a politicized bureaucracy. Results suggest that to avoid a waste of public resources during crises, regulatory crisis responses should entail clear rules that safeguard competitive public procurement procedures.
When: Friday, 07. October 2022, 17:00 p.m
Where: Online via Zoom