Croatia is one of the most corrupt countries in Europe according to a new survey. But Slovenia is even worse, website Euobserver reported citing an annual report on corporate graft, published on Tuesday by Ernst & Young. According to the financial services company, it interviewed 3,459 company board members in 36 countries worldwide, including 20 European Union member states. It asked whether businesses offer bribes to win or retain contracts or if they deliberately misstate their financial performance. Ninety percent of people in Croatia, which is to join the EU on 1 July, said “bribery/corrupt practices happen widely in business in this country.” The figure was 96% in Slovenia – which joined the EU in 2004 and which adopted the euro in 2007 – higher even than Kenya, on 94%. Greece and Slovakia came next on 84%, followed by the Czech Republic (73%), Portugal (72%), Hungary (70%), Spain (65%), Romania (61%) and Italy (60%). The EU’s three largest economies scored much better – UK was 37%, Germany 30% and France 27%. Nordic countries Finland and Sweden came out as the least corrupt on 12% each.
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