Corruption Scandals Grip Southern Europe

In southern Europe, corruption scandals have been on the rise, with many leaders facing investigation and prosecution. Unlike in other regions, however, the investigation of parliamentarians and ministers has typically been led by those outside the legislature and government. Greece is the sole exception, where politicians have taken a leading role in pursuing alleged corruption, resulting in the indictment of a former prime minister and the acquittal of a Socialist prime minister. The investigative efforts have often relied on the media and the judiciary to uncover wrongdoing.

Key Takeaways:

In Greece, parliament has sent a former prime minister for trial on charges of bribe-taking, with the justice minister taking personal charge of the investigation.
Throughout southern Europe, investigation of parliamentarians and ministers has largely been led by those outside the legislature and government.
In Spain and Portugal, media exposure has played a key role in bringing evidence of wrongdoing to light, while in Italy, lawyers have led the charge.
The Portuguese judicial process has been particularly effective in prosecuting corruption cases, with a former health secretary sentenced to seven years in jail and three former Socialist Party members receiving prison sentences for attempted bribery.
Italy's Clean Hands team of lawyers, led by Antonio Di Pietro, has become a national hero through their high-profile courtroom performances and has uncovered an immense network of irregular party funding.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government has tried to curb the prosecutors' powers, using the issue of civil liberties as justification, and has attempted to put the head of the Clean Hands team on trial for critical remarks.
Berlusconi has also considered wooing Antonio Di Pietro into his government, sparking concerns about his motives and the influence of lawyers over politics.

Statistics:

In Greece, a former prime minister was indicted by parliament on charges of bribe-taking in September 2011.
In Portugal, a former health secretary was sentenced to seven years in jail within five days of the judgment in January 2001.
Three former members of the opposition Socialist Party in Portugal were sentenced to up to 4 1/2 years in prison for attempted bribery in January 2001.
The Italian Clean Hands team of lawyers has uncovered an immense network of irregular party funding, with cases still ongoing.

Sources:

The Guardian, August 1992
The New York Times, January 2001
The Economist, July 2011
The Independent, November 2011