Tom PowellA STAGGERING two out of three Spaniards believe political corruption affects their daily lives, more than anywhere else in Europe.
The survey by the European Commission also revealed 77% of Spanish people think the level of corruption has risen in the past three years, again the highest in Europe.
The continent-wide report highlights the deep lying concerns over corruption in Spain.
An overwhelming 95% of Spanish people believe corruption is institutionalised, beaten only by Greece on 99% and Italy on 97%.
The report concluded that legal mechanisms in place across Europe to tackle corruption ‘are not satisfactory’, and that in many places political will to eradicate corruption is ‘absent’.
The findings come as another former minister is mired in reports of corruption. Former Public Works Minister Francisco Álvarez Cascos reportedly received at least €41,000 in payments from a corrupt businessmen’s network between 2003 and 2004.
He was named in a new report investigating alleged Gürtel ringleader Francisco Correa, who is on bail awaiting trial.
Correa was allegedly the leader of a group of prominent businessman who received generous contracts from the PP government in exchange for payments.
Cascos’ initials allegedly appear on secret accounting ledgers relating to the receipt of funds that went to PP campaigns.
The Gürtel case is an on-going political corruption scandal which implicates many senior politicians in the PP, including the Prime Minister.
The only thing absent from Spain is a brain.
I’m sure we’d all like to know what happened in your childhood Fred?
HaHa. The rose-tinted-glasses-brigade are going to be up in arms about this. “How dare anyone criticise this perfect country…”
Everyone who has *worked* here knows this to be true. Sitting in a chiringuito listening to gossip will leave you incredulous and dismissive. But really integrating and actually dealing with the authorities will prove this again and again.
We need to bring it to the open, and shame those involved.
Derek: Fred didn’t write this article. Are you trying to change the subject? That’s trolling according to Christine…
The OP need to include links to the reports they cite. The EU memorandum on this is located here:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-14-68_en.htm
It’s bit rich of the EU writing this report when they have not had an internal audit for decades. That implies the EU, themselves, have no will to tackle corruption. They need to get their act together or disband the whole thing.
Perhaps the EU commission should ask the entire population of the EU, “how would you consider the financial integrity of Brussels and it’s politicians?”. The answer would be “riding the gravy train for all they can screw out of the taxpayer”. They need to get their own house in order before judging others.
Of course Spain may well be a cauldron of institutionalised corruption, borne of an electorate who, by and large, simply say “así son las cosas” with a shrug of the shoulder and a tax regime which discourages honest trading, but it is simply reflecting the attitude of the EU. An EU where, as Fred say’s, audit’s haven’t been signed off for decades. In fact the auditors have been demonised for their attitude.
I’d vote for you brian.
So when is the EU going to do something about it , it is their responsibility.
Also the Eu legislation on corruption should be reinforced , and punishment made more severe , especially for politicians .
In addition an investigation by the media will probably reveal the true extent of corruption , and should be encouraged .
If the EU does nothing , then it is proof that that EU itself is corrupt , and part of the system