More than every second person in Austria considers corruption to be a widespread problem. Especially in shops and public facilities ‘preferential treatment of friends and/or relatives’ is experienced.
According to a new Eurobarometer survey, 55 and 52 percent of respondents see this. Corruption is also seen as “promoting political parties in exchange for government contracts or influencing political decisions” (43 percent) and “offering gifts or free travel in exchange for a service” (33 percent). Multiple answers were possible for this question. 504 people were questioned.
Overall, the majority (56 percent) describe corruption as a widespread problem, while about four in ten respondents consider the problem to be only “rare”. For one percent it does not exist at all. Some described being asked at least once in their company to show their appreciation for a gift or favor. However, the clear majority (88 percent) did not experience this.
punishment appropriate
According to those surveyed (65 percent), small cases of corruption are already adequately punished. At the same time, more than every second person stated that anti-corruption measures are not yet “applied impartially and unconditionally”. There is little agreement about bribery of senior officials. Some (40 percent) think the sanctions are appropriate in such a case, others (44 percent) do not.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
