What do citizens think of corruption? How do they view the fight against corruption and their own contribution to this fight? What factors increase or diminish the perception of corruption? What is the impact of education on individuals’ perception of corruption? Just how important is corruption in relation to other topics?

These are some of the issues undertaken by five university researchers based on the response of Portuguese citizens within the scope of an in-depth scientific research paper financed by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia under the name of “Corrupção e Ética em Democracia: O Caso de Portugal” (“Corruption and Ethics in Democracy: The Case of Portugal”).

This analysis of one of the most important phenomena of the present time, illustrated with examples and results of national and international studies, further includes a reflection on the role and effects of the media in the fight against corruption.

The Portuguese condemn corruption in the form of bribes or extortion, yet they tolerate its greyer aspects. Are we the country that ‘pulls strings’?

This book is a collection of texts published over the last four years on Afghanistan, China, the USA, Europe, Iraq, UNO and East Timor, as well as on key issues: ties between Europe and Africa, the Guantánamo prison, the Middle East, women and politics, the nuclear threat, global security, terrorism and countless other topics closely followed by the Author whilst working for the European Parliament.In her intense activity as Member of the European Parliament, she doesn’t confine herself to the corridors of Brussels and Strasbourg. She doesn’t just say things off the top of her head; she actually gets onto the field: she is constantly on the go, travelling from continent to continent, through countries marked by war, hunger, underdevelopment and oppression.Twenty-eight years of diplomatic experience, including four as Portuguese Ambassador in Jakarta, provide the author with a personal view on the major international debates, never overlooking Portugal’s position in them.