18th International Anti-Corruption Conference

The Nordic countries, and not least Denmark, have been heralded as uniquely trust based communities. It is generally perceived that a high degree of trust, and an implicit understanding among the citizens that the interests of the community come before personal interests, have contributed to the generally low levels of corruption in the Nordics. In Denmark references to “trust” and “culture” has been used to dismiss calls for whistleblower protection, and generally low political investment and interest in the anti-corruption agenda. In other countries, such as Norway, a string of serious corruption cases has proven that the Nordic trust may be a weak currency faced with the challenges of corruption. In order to maintain the many benefits of a trust-based society, the challenge is to strike the right balance between informality and a more disciplined and legalistic approach to corruption.