Corruption is Not an Engine of Economic Growth
on is Not an Engine of Economic Growth: A Global Perspective Corruption is Not an Engine of Economic Growth, according to François Valérian, who was elected
Corruption is Not an Engine of Economic Growth: A Global Perspective
Tempatdonasi.com – Corruption is Not an Engine of Economic Growth, according to François Valérian, who was elected Chair of Transparency International in 2023. The French scholar now faces the formidable challenge of steering nearly 100 chapters of the worldwide anti-corruption organization through increasingly turbulent times. In recent years, for example, the nonprofit’s offices in Russia and Venezuela have come under severe repression from local authorities, highlighting how civil society organizations worldwide are losing their operational space.
Challenges in Venezuela and Russia
The situation in Venezuela has been particularly dramatic. Several information technology staff members left the country after Nicolás Maduro won the fraud-tainted July 2024 presidential election. The exodus was intended to avoid arrest by the Venezuelan authorities, who have maintained a harsh stance toward civil society. Maduro—who was captured by the United States government in January 2026—has systematically weakened independent institutions that could challenge his administration’s authority.
“There are many countries where there is no space for civil society,” Valérian said during a visit to Tempo’s office in Jakarta on Thursday, June 25, 2026.
Russia is not much different. The French national was accompanied by J. Danang Widoyoko, Secretary-General of Transparency International Indonesia, during their discussions about the global state of anti-corruption efforts. Both nations exemplify how authoritarian tendencies are eroding the institutions that promote transparency and accountability.
Indonesia’s Anti-Corruption Challenges
In an interview lasting about an hour and a half, Valérian expressed deep concern over the weakening of Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). He said anti-corruption agencies in many countries have been losing resources and independence, making it increasingly difficult to combat corruption effectively. This trend is particularly troubling because it suggests that corruption is not merely a symptom of economic development but rather an obstacle that prevents sustainable growth.
Valérian also shared his views on President Prabowo Subianto’s populist policies and criticized the Patriot Bond, a government bond program that would grant buyers immunity from criminal prosecution. The history scholar from Université Paris Nanterre, France, argued that such measures could undermine the rule of law and create a two-tier system where the wealthy and powerful escape accountability while ordinary citizens face stricter enforcement.
The French national also discussed the growing global trend toward the concentration of political power, including in Indonesia. This centralization often coincides with reduced transparency and increased opportunities for corrupt practices to flourish unchecked. When power becomes concentrated in fewer hands, the mechanisms that ensure accountability become weaker, allowing corruption to persist and potentially grow.
As Valérian’s analysis demonstrates, corruption is Not an Engine of Economic Growth but rather a brake on development. Countries that invest in strong institutions, independent oversight bodies, and transparent governance structures are better positioned to achieve sustainable economic progress. The experiences of Venezuela, Russia, and Indonesia illustrate that without these foundations, economic growth may occur, but it will be uneven, unstable, and vulnerable to reversal when political conditions change.
