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Thousands of Italians in Rome protest at corruption

Sunday, 25 January 2015 6:44 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 25 January 2015 6:44 AM ]

Italian demonstrators in central Rome protest against labor market reform, November 14, 2014.

Italians stage a rally in the capital, Rome, to protest at corruption in Italy as the country grapples with economic woes, Press TV reports.

The Night of Honesty demonstration was held on Saturday, when some 20,000 people gathered at People’s Square in the wake of recent reports that kickbacks and bribery cost the country more than USD 67 billion a year.

The demonstrators were angry at the high level of corruption in the country.

“My income in the year 2008 amounted to about 28,000 euros and… in 2013 it was 5,000. In Italy one has to be the dishonest to make ends meet,” said one protester.

According to experts, one of the main factors behind the rate of corruption in Italy is the lack of professional integrity among local and national representatives.

“The ruling… members of the parliament must be chosen by people, not parties. Our electoral law is ridiculous,” another protester said.

Over the past decade, Italy has been the slowest growing economy in the eurozone as tough austerity measures, spending cuts, and pension changes have stirred serious concerns for many people already grappling with the European country’s ailing economy.

According to reports, Italy’s gross domestic product (GDP) dropped by 0.1 percent during the July-September period in 2014. The country’s GDP shrank by 0.2 percent in the second quarter of 2014 while it was flat in the first quarter of the year.

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