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2008年，一位希腊政府高官帮助一个东正教会获得一个湖泊的所有权，然后转手获得另一片公有土地，使教会僧侣获得巨大利益，而纳税人因此损失1亿欧元！
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Have you ever been to Greece and felt the need to bribe officials, workers, doctors and others in order to get things done? Such is one of the underlying issues to Greece’s economic woes. I was in Athens in 2010, shortly after the European Union’s economic bailout and the introduction of the first round of austerity measures. During this time, there were days when the city shut down. I couldn’t get to my next destination because of general strikes. I was there when, sadly, a pipe bomb was thrown into a bank killing a mother and her unborn child. I did a bit of shopping and I was astounded by the sarcasm in the voices of entitled shopkeepers who complained about the need to provide customers with receipts. One retailer said, “see what the Germans are making us do? I have to give you this piece of paper, otherwise they’re going to fine me.” He shook his head in woe, as if rehearsing for a part in a Greek tragedy. Surely the end was nigh. Many people are hard pressed to admit that they are part of the problem and, hence, the solution. Their denial impedes the very fibre of their sovereignty. They are reticent to conform to the imposed taxation structure that will help Greece coagulate its hemorrhaging coffers. I’ve travelled to Greece on many occasions for pleasure and experienced the culture of bribery or 'to fakelaki' (the little envelope). It starts at the airport, where cigarettes and liquor are good ways to move through the lines faster and avoid the lengthy customs process. Pay or perish. I recall visiting the Emergency Room because I had sprained my ankle. The payouts began with the orderly who quickly found a wheelchair for me. My father paid the radiologist who promptly took x-rays. He paid the doctor who interpreted the results. He gave a little something to the nurse. We were in and out of the hospital within a half hour, as others there before me, waited to be seen. Another example, was the time when my parents gave me 500 drachmas for the electrician who worked for Δημόσια Επιχείρηση Ηλεκτρισμού (DEH) or the public electrical company. My dad warned, “make sure you give him the money or else we won’t have electricity.” Well of course I wouldn’t have that. It’s not how we did things in Canada where you call the electric company, they connect your electricity, they leave, you pay your bill and service continues. So when he came to connect the electricity, I stood my ground watching him dance in anticipation. His eyes shifted from me to the house and back to me before he said, “well, it’s the end of the day and I can’t do anything for you. I’ll come back tomorrow.” Translation: No pay, no play. My father was not happy that we had no electricity. He waited for the electrician the next day. I saw drachmas change hands and the lights finally came on. Corruption hurts public finances, but people believe it’s the only way to go – it has become the norm. If you don’t participate you’re considered ignorant. You bribe the government official, you bribe the tax collector, you bribe government workers (DEH), you bribe doctors and more. Corruption in Greece is cultural and unfortunately is an accepted way of life. Many countries in the world have their share of corruption. Lastly, Greece needs to reduce and eventually halt the greasing of the palm mentality in order to help their economy and alleviate one of the largest forms of the country's corruption, bribery. It is easier said than done, especially when an entire Hellenic people view these briberies as normal. How do you change an entire country's perception toward corruption?
Have you had an experience with a bribe in Greece? What do you think Greece should do to alleviate bribery?
Written by: Irene Fantopoulos | Visit Irene's Blog |
