As Transparency International noted, the eurozone countries suffering the worst debt crises are among the lowest-scoring EU countries on the corruption index. This is partly because of governments’ “failure to tackle the bribery and tax evasion that are key drivers of the debt crisis.”
Greece, which registers debt that tops 160 percent of GDP, scores a 3.4. Italy, where former leader Silvio Berlusconi remained a powerful political figure for decades despite accusations of corruption (including bribery and cooperating with the mafia), scored a 3.9.
At the other end of the spectrum, The Netherlands scored an 8.9 and Germany an 8.
