Corruption is widely regarded as one of the triggers of the Greek debt crisis threatening the euro common currency. A new study by Transparency International suggests that corruption is part of everyday life in Greece, and claims private households paid more than 780 million euros in bribes in 2009.

The Greeks paid an average of €1,355 ($1,830) in bribes last year for public services such as speeding up the issue of driver's licenses and construction permits, getting admitted to public hospitals or manipulating tax returns, according to a new study by Transparency International, the Berlin-based global corruption watchdog …
The figures show only a small part of the corruption in Greece because many people did not admit to paying bribes, the study said…
The Greek budget deficit in 2009 amounted to 12.7 percent of GDP, more than four times the EU limit…
Politicians in Germany are reluctant to rescue Greece, partly because such a move would be deeply unpopular after Germans have undergone reforms in recent years to keep their budget deficit under control. Bild, the mass circulation German daily, reflected the public mood on Tuesday with a banner headline on its front page asking: ""Are The Greeks Breaking the Euro?""