# Is corruption a big deal here?



## vianina (Feb 25, 2020)

Morning all,

I have heard odd things from various Portuguese acquaintances lately. One said that the forest fires are started deliberately in order to buy up the affected land on the cheap. Another, unconnected person said that it is commonplace to offer bribes for admission to hospital, or when stopped by the police.

Can those who have been in Portugal for a while offer any insight please? I have lived in tough places, but did not really expect this here. Are these people over-dramatizing or is there a real issue?

Many thanks.


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## Strontium (Sep 16, 2015)

vianina said:


> Morning all,
> 
> I have heard odd things from various Portuguese acquaintances lately. One said that the forest fires are started deliberately in order to buy up the affected land on the cheap. Another, unconnected person said that it is commonplace to offer bribes for admission to hospital, or when stopped by the police.
> 
> ...


As you probably realise by spending time here everyone will talk to you about any subject and insist they know what is going on. If you ask two people in the same office the same question you'll get several different answers, there is no Portuguese translation for " Sorry I don't know". Please show some critical thought on accepting anythings without any supporting evidence. Why would anyone set fire to trees in some uncontrolled fire to buy what is basically worthless rock stroon hill sides with poor soil and no water which has one use and that is to grow a few types of hardy trees. If you read the history of Portugal you may find about Salazar Dictatorship, it;s censorship and control of the media so people were used to flexibility of media reports and their own interpretations and though it was a while ago this attitude still exists. It does make it a lovely place to live as no two conversations are the same, even if speaking to the same person.


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## vianina (Feb 25, 2020)

Thank you, Strontium, for your thoughts.

Corruption can take many weird forms, and I was hoping somebody might have something evidence-based to share, rather than assumptions about my thinking, others’ thinking, or whether I have read anything.


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## MrBife (Jul 26, 2009)

I would say that the level of corruption in Portugal was about the same as the level of corruption in the UK - maybe even a little lower?


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## MikeItMo (Mar 3, 2018)

It's almost certainly nowhere near as rife as where I am currently living.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Strontium said:


> As you probably realise by spending time here everyone will talk to you about any subject and insist they know what is going on. If you ask two people in the same office the same question you'll get several different answers, there is no Portuguese translation for *" Sorry I don't know"*. Please show some critical thought on accepting anythings without any supporting evidence. Why would anyone set fire to trees in some uncontrolled fire to buy what is basically worthless rock stroon hill sides with poor soil and no water which has one use and that is to grow a few types of hardy trees. If you read the history of Portugal you may find about Salazar Dictatorship, it;s censorship and control of the media so people were used to flexibility of media reports and their own interpretations and though it was a while ago this attitude still exists. It does make it a lovely place to live as no two conversations are the same, even if speaking to the same person.


Me desculpe, eu não sei.


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