Nearly three-quarters (73%) of the Czech population perceive corruption as a widespread problem, and more than half (56%) do not believe that the current government[1] has taken effective steps to curb it. According to the public, the main causes of corruption are the decline in moral standards (70%) and the failure of the elites; 65% of respondents believe that people at the top are corrupt and do not set a good example. The areas most affected are public procurement (31%) and political parties (19%). The public considers stricter penalties for the corrupt (67%), tougher legislation, including a law on lobbying (55%), and clear accountability of officials for their work to be key steps to reducing corruption. We published the findings of a representative sociological survey in a thematic report entitled CEDMO Special Brief.
Current CEDMO data show that corruption remains a dominant issue for the Czech public, shaping their expectations of new political representation.
Public procurement tops the corruption ranking, followed by political parties
Public procurement dominates the ranking of areas most affected by corruption, with 31% of respondents placing it first among the selected sectors, which is significantly higher than the other areas surveyed. The Czechia public perceives political parties as the second most affected area (19%). Institutions involved in the distribution of European subsidies and Parliament (or legislators) were ranked third, with both categories receiving 10% of respondents. Ministries and central authorities are considered the most corrupt sector by 7% of respondents, followed by the building authority and sports by 4% and healthcare by 3%.
“The most common answer – public procurement – was given more often by men (36% compared to 26% of women), people aged 35 and above, and respondents with a high school diploma or university education. A specific trend is evident among the population aged 55–64. Compared to other age groups, they are significantly more likely to identify institutions involved in the distribution of European subsidies as the most affected sector,” says Lukáš Kutil, data analyst for the CEDMO project.
The public clearly demands stricter penalties for corrupt individuals
What can be expected from the new government? According to CEDMO’s findings, the public expects concrete steps: in particular, stricter penalties (67%), a legislative framework for lobbying (55%), and accountability of officials (52%). Awareness-raising and educational measures against corruption, on the other hand, are perceived as much less important.
Corruption has become one of the most discussed topics in recent weeks, not only because of the appointment of the new Czech government, but also because of the accusations against former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and the revelation of widespread corruption in Ukraine. For Ukraine, anti-corruption reforms are key to the transparent use of foreign aid and progress towards European integration. Trust in institutions is thus becoming a fundamental issue in the broader security and geopolitical context.
[1] The question was asked to respondents as part of the 28th wave of the CEDMO Trends longitudinal survey, which was conducted in September 2025. “Government” therefore refers to the government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala, which is currently in resignation.
The thematic report is available in the following versions
- CEDMO Special Brief (data for Czechia, Slovakia) – in Czech
- CEDMO Special Brief (data for Czechia, Slovakia) – in English
*CEDMO Trends offers unique insight into the development of population behavior in the consumption of various types of media content, focusing on specific types of information disorders such as misinformation and disinformation. These not only undermine public trust in institutions essential to the functioning of a pluralistic democracy, but can also amplify individual infodemics. For CEDMO (Central European Digital Media Observatory), it is conducted in the Czech Republic by the Median research agency on a representative sample of 2,700–3,000 respondents over the age of 16.
*The CEDMO TRENDS research in the Czech Republic is funded by the National Recovery Plan as part of project 1.4 CEDMO 1 – Z220312000000 Support for increasing the impact, innovation, and sustainability of CEDMO in the Czech Republic.
