The anti-graft body told the STA that corruption undoubtedly existed in the Slovenian society and corruption risks as well but that people's perception did not reflect the actual situation.

This is evident from the gap between the share of people who think that corruption is widespread, and those who were actually affected by corruptive practices themselves.

The number of reports of corruption that the KPK and police receive also supports this, the commission said.

A total of 87% of respondents in the Eurobarometer survey conducted last December among 1,006 respondents said they believed that corruption is widespread in Slovenia, and 10% that it is rare. However, only some 35% have been personally affected by corruption in their day-to-day life.

The KPK said this misconception about the amount of corruption in the country was a result of high-profile cases that receive a lot of media attention at first but then the proceedings take too long, sometimes more than a decade, which reduces people's trust in the rule of law.

The anti-graft body is addressing this issue by promoting integrity and ethical behaviour, and raising awareness of corruption. The goal is to make people more sensitive to deviant behaviour.

Integrity is important for everyone, but public office holders have a particularly big responsibility, the KPK said. "Integrity of an individual is reflected in the integrity of an organisation, and when we build the integrity of the entire society this way, we will be able to talk about a society with zero tolerance to corruption."