Concern over corruption surges in Spain

[admin]

From: http://www.expatica.com/es/news/country-news/Concern-over-corruption-surges-in-Spain-poll_441636.html

Concern over corruption surges in Spain: poll
4th December 2014


Concern over corruption increased sharply in Spain last month in the wake of a major anti-graft sweep that saw six mayors arrested, a poll published Thursday showed.

Six in 10 Spaniards, or 63.8 percent, feel corruption is the country's main problem, the Centre for Sociological Research poll found, up from 42.7 percent who thought so in the previous month.

As in previous surveys unemployment topped the monthly ranking of Spaniards' concerns, with 77 percent listing it as the nation's main problem.

The survey of 2,465 people was carried out November 4-12, just days after police arrested 51 people including six mayors in a probe into alleged kickbacks.

Kickbacks were allegedly paid to politicians by the private sector in return for public works contracts worth some 250 million euros ($300 million).

After the arrests Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy took the unusual step of apologising to Spaniards for corruption scandals involving members of his conservative Popular Party during a debate in parliament.

The kickback probe is one of a series of graft scandals that have rocked Spain in recent years involving politicians of all political stripes, businesses, football clubs and even the king's sister.

Spain slightly improved its score on Transparency International's annual corruption ranking this year, obtaining a score of 60 on a scale of 0-100, where zero means very corrupt and 100 signifies very clean. The country had a score of 59 in 2013.

Spain was ranked 37th out of 175 countries this year in the rankings that go from least to most corrupt, behind neighbouring Portugal but well ahead of Greece and Italy which were tied in 69th place.

Spanish magistrates on Wednesday presented 57 recommendations to make the judicial system more efficient and better at tackling corruption.

Hardening penalties for corruption, making irregular party financing a criminal offence and boosting the number of judges were among their recommendations.

Spain has proportionally fewer judges than the European average -- 11 judges per 100,000 inhabitants compared to a European Union average of 21 judges per 100,000 inhabitants, according to Spanish judicial unions.

Spain's ruling Popular Party replied to the magistrates by pointing out that many of the recommendations have been included in new laws which it introduced for debate in parliament last month.

"I can understand the irritation and distrust of our citizens but suspicion should not be leveled at everyone," Rajoy told parliament on November when the draft laws were debated.

"Spain is not corrupt. It has some corrupt people who are coming to light," he added.

[erik_tonny]

Don't call it corruption (has such a negative sound)
Call it what it really is: flexibility (and enjoy the benefits)

[Ivemovedon]

Don't call it corruption (has such a negative sound)
Call it what it really is: flexibility (and enjoy the benefits)

Lets call it what it really is ...Theft from the public purse.

(And enjoy seeing them caught and dealt with.)

[woe10]

Kickbacks were allegedly paid to politicians by the private sector in return for public works contracts worth some 250 million euros ($300 million).