A fifth of Czechs think bribes are a normal part of life

Twenty percent of Czechs think bribes are a normal part of life, according to a poll conducted by the CVVM agency. A fifth of respondents said they would think nothing of offering a bribe to smooth the way at a public institution or hospital. On the other hand two-fifth of Czechs said they would never offer a bribe on principle. The Czech Republic has had serious problems tackling widespread corruption in the wake of four decades of communism when small bribes were often the only way of acquiring hard to get products or services.