Fakelaki und rousfeti sind Begriffe, die in Griechenland jedes Kind kennt. Gemeint ist damit der Umschlag (fakelaki)[1], der bei Behördengängen so wichtig ist, und sein Inhalt: Schmiergeld (rousfeti).[2] Was jeder in Griechenland schon immer wusste, wird jetzt auch vom hohen Katheder der Wissenschaft bestätigt:
A study to be published in coming weeks by the Washington-based Brookings Institution finds that bribery, patronage and other public corruption are major contributors to the country’s ballooning debt, depriving the Greek state each year of the equivalent of at least 8% of its gross domestic product, or more than €20 billion (about $27 billion).
(…) Last year, 13.5% of Greek households paid a bribe, €1,355 on average, according to a Transparency survey published last month. Ordinary citizens hand out cash-filled envelopes to get driver’s licenses, doctor’s appointments and building permits, or to reduce their tax bills, according to the organization’s Greek chapter.
(…) “The core of the problem is that we don’t have a culture of civic society,” says Stavros Katsios, a professor at Greece’s Ionian University who specializes in economic crime. “In Greece, complying with the rules is a matter of dishonor. They call you stupid if you follow the rules.”
Übrigens: Pro Kopf gerechnet ist Griechenland grösster Empfänger von EU-Geldern.