Corruption: The Profile of Political Companies in Romania

The subject of the paper is related to the tainting of the public contract award process and the consequences generated by it: corruption in public procurement, which is a major problem of the Romanian economy, recognised and pointed out both at the national and at the European level. The study provides empirical evidence that between 2009–2013 there were many companies that repeatedly win public procurement contracts and do business only (or almost only) with the local and central authorities (contracting authorities who represent the interests of political parties). At the theoretical level, the profile of these companies, called political companies, is identified.