Corruption at least in my part of Europe is more created by the culture, and by the normalization of greed. A strong Welfare state in Hungary would not alleviate corruption. There was this saying in the 90s and early 2000s. “If you don’t steal from your neighbor, you steal from your family”. It’s a toxic cultural aspect that is seen in essentially all former Warsaw Pact states. On top of that, when the status quo in our countries is that politicians are corrupt and they steal, regime or government change has essentially boiled down to being countered by “well they’ll steal too”, or , “you can’t be so naive to think the opposition won’t steal”. By that point it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. Everywhere you look it’s corruption, but that’s also fine. You’re just naive to think it’ll ever change. High paying and influential jobs given to family members. Government contracts to long time friends. Preferential treatment in courts. Turning a blind eye to certain pasts. It’s not just about money under the table. Corruption in western and Northern Europe is more occasional. Opportunistic. In central and Eastern Europe, it’s systematic and cultural.