In order for a democratic centrist to win the next election, they may not only have to contend with Garcia's inability to sufficiently bring down the poverty rate and reduce corruption but with the interference of Venezuela's president, Hugo Chavez.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Peru today

Corruption was seen as a key problem by 17% of Spaniards in the government's main "CIS" survey last December, nearly double the rate of the previous month and the highest rate by far since the term "corruption and fraud" was included in the poll 11 years ago.

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On returning home, Mr Miller, who has become deeply unpopular as a result of corruption scandals, bungled health reforms and Poland's 20% unemployment rate, announced his resignation (see article).

ECONOMIST: Revived to die another day? | The

That financial crisis, in the course of which the Italian lira was ejected from Europe's pre-euro exchange-rate system (along with Britain's pound sterling) coincided with a huge political crisis, as corruption investigations brought crashing down the parties that had dominated Italian politics for the past 40 years.

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