Under the new era of geopolitics, many have believed that “Western Democracy” is the last bastion of integrity and transparency. However, it appears that this bastion is being seriously shaken, as shown by the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) report from Transparency International. This report is not just a set of statistics, but signals a “red flag” that world-leading countries like the United States are entering an unprecedented era of governance decline.
The fact that the U.S. has fallen to 29th in the world with only 64 points marks its lowest point since 2012. The shocking aspect is not just the score, but its “compatriots” on the table. Today, the U.S.’s transparency level is ranked alongside the Bahamas and is surpassed by countries like Lithuania (28th) and even Uruguay (17th).
This is not just an issue of image; it represents a loss of trust in the eyes of investors and the global community.
The return to power of “Donald Trump” has systematically advanced the deregulation of integrity, starting with freezing the FCPA law (halting investigations of transnational bribery cases, a clear signal that the government “accepts corruption” for business interests), and using the state as a tool (executive orders barring opposing lawyers from accessing state facilities or holding public office, a serious erosion of the rule of law).
This demonstrates the emergence of a new, extremely alarming standard, where the presidency is used as a tool for political branding—from issuing self-branded cryptocurrencies to arranging cross-border real estate deals in the Middle East and Asia. The overlap between “personal interests” and “foreign policy” has become a parallel line that finally converges, fueling the dramatic dive of the transparency index.
The global average transparency score has dropped to just 42, a reflection of the reality that when the “leader” no longer leads in ethics, other countries begin to loosen standards as well. The report states that over two-thirds of the world score below 50. Even former champions like Denmark or Switzerland have falling scores, reflecting a growing “gray megatrend” infiltrating the global financial system through new technologies and weakened regulatory oversight.
This “transparency crisis” in the U.S. shows that even “strong institutions” can collapse in an instant if leaders lack ethics and seek to destroy oversight mechanisms.
For Thailand, still near the bottom (ranked 116th with 33 points), this lesson emphasizes that without truly independent checks and balances, the nation may inevitably become trapped in corruption.
Thus, from now on, the global megatrend may not be just about AI or Green Energy, but the Integrity War—a battle for honesty. Those with greater transparency are the “long-term winners.” Conversely, those who succumb to the use of corrupting power will inevitably be haunted by decay.
