Corruption as Major National Problem
While three-quarters of Europeans deem corruption a major problem in their country, the share of Slovenians who share the view is 95%.
In this respect, Slovenia is preceded only by Greece, Cyprus, Hungary and Romania, where 98-96% of the people see corruption as a big national problem.
Similarly, about three-quarters of the respondents believe there is corruption in the EU institutions, while the share of Slovenians is also rather high, at 79%.
The survey also shows that Europeans feel that the level of corruption in their country has increased over the past three years. Here, Slovenians are again in the lead, with 74% of respondents completely agreeing with the statement, while the EU average is 47%.
The majority of Europeans (70%) think that corruption is unavoidable and that it has always existed, while two-thirds even consider it a part of the business culture of their country.
People mostly agree with this in Greece, Cyprus, Italy and the Czech Republic, while as many as 82% of Slovenians also think so.
About a third of Europeans and Slovenians said that corruption personally affected their daily lives and 8% of Europeans and 7% of Slovenians have been asked or expected to pay a bribe.
The Corruption Prevention Commission told the STA today that the results of the survey, conducted in September 2011 among 1,024 Slovenians, were worrying.
The report confirms that corruption is a systemic problem in both Slovenia and Europe and that not enough had been done in the past to recognise this and fight it, the commission said.
However, the results for Slovenia are particularly worrying and do not benefit the country's reputation.
"The results of the survey do not put us among developed countries with a satisfying level of quality of government and the rule of law," the commission said.