How corrupt are French civil servants?
Just out: the 2008 Corruption Perceptions Index
Each year, Transparency International measures the perceived levels of public-sector corruption (CPI) for 180 countries. The CPI is a composite index, running on a scale from zero (highly corrupt) to ten (highly clean).
Denmark, New Zealand and Sweden share the highest score at 9.3, followed immediately by Singapore at 9.2. Bringing up the rear is Somalia at 1.0, slightly trailing Iraq and Myanmar at 1.3 and Haiti at 1.4.
As it turns out, France finds itself in 23rd place, scoring 6.9, shared with Uruguay. In Western Europe, only Spain (6.5) and Portugal (6.1) are seen as more corrupt. Other Mediterranean countries, such as Italy and Greece score below 5. Most of France's neighbors are perceived a lot cleaner: United Kingdom (7.7), Belgium (7.3), Germany (7.9), and Switzerland (9.0).
Conclusion? Don't ask me — I have to deal with French fonctionnaires everyday!
