A survey carried out during the first half of February by the Real Instituto Elcano shows that Spaniards believe corruption, and not the crisis or unemployment, has done the most damage to Spain’s. Fifty-two percent of those polled believed corruption to be the major factor.
Is this a surprise, with almost daily revelations and denuncias being made against everyone from the Royal Family down, councillors and mayors languishing in prisons around the country? Perhaps not.
Those polled believe Spain to be more corrupt than neighbours France and Italy, Greece, Morocco and even China.
This compares to 19.1% who stated that unemployment and poverty were the major image-damaging factors, 5.9% who believed it was the financial system and 4.1% believed that strikes and protests were the most damaging.
Spain does not appear above such countries as China in other international ‘corruption lists’, but it does seem to be the Spanish perception.
The survey also showed that 47.9% on under-45’s have seriously considered emigration as a means of improving their economic situation. With the under-30’s, the figure rises to 67%.