Confronting corruption

No abstractThis article analyses the concept of corruption and the evolution of its perception during the recent decade (‘scandals’, bribery, anti-trust violations, patronage, active and passive corruption). The author refers to data and a plethora of cases, focusing mainly on Germany. He emphasizes the political and economic dimensions of corruption and describes the areas where it primarily occurs: public administration at all levels, private enterprises (where profit maximization and ruthless contention of power hierarchies in economy constitute significant variables of economic crime), justice system, European Union etc. The author regards criminal law and formal social control as the most important means of confronting corruption and argues that its prevention, which presently constitutes an international goal, will be the main criterion not only of law and crime policy effectiveness, but of equality and justice in our society, as well