Corruption in Italy has become “more insidious and evasive,” spreading into “every part of public life,” according to the anti-corruption agency ANAC in its annual report. The report, presented to the Lower House on Tuesday, covers the agency’s activities in 2025.
“It is no longer limited to traditional bribes, but includes a range of hidden practices: fictitious consultancies, questionable sponsorships, manipulated competitions, and the misuse of EU funds, which rose by 35% last year, according to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.
“It can even reach the highest levels of government. It does not just break the rules, but seeks to reshape them, effectively privatizing public authority.”
The report also highlights a sharp rise in public contracts for services and supplies awarded directly, without a competitive tender process.
Last year, such contracts accounted for nearly 95% of total acquisitions, with many clustered just below the threshold that requires a formal tender procedure, between €135,000 and €140,000.
“There is often waste, opportunism, artificial splitting of contracts, and sometimes even criminal involvement behind this practice,” ANAC said.
“In some cases, honest administrators are more vulnerable to undue pressure, as they can no longer insist on competitive bidding below this threshold.”
