Talk of scandal in Germany these days brings to mind the former defense minister, KT, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, and the plagiarism of his doctoral dissertation thesis . But there are also other cases worthy of accredited specialization. Before the stylish KT came to public attention, 2011 opened with news of the dioxin scandal. The affair reached European and even global repercussions: "Germany closes 4,700 farms for using dioxin-contaminated feed". "The EU says there are contaminated eggs in the United Kingdom". "China suspends imports of German pork and poultry". "Germany fears immense damage," were headlines in the first weeks of January.

The development of the events followed the requirements of the script in this subject of events: the first cases are discovered, they are considered at first a local and isolated matter; then the incidents multiply and, when public opinion begins to be alarmed, those responsible for the sector and the authorities try to reassure the population by objecting that these are isolated episodes and that the status is under control. issue Finally, the harsh reality sets in: cases abound, they affect a wide range of agents - in this case, farms and animals - and, in addition, fear spreads in the face of the possibility of contagion reaching people. As this is a highly contagious feeling and as the media are very effective loudspeakers, alarm can easily turn into panic and mass hysteria.

The reaction of the representatives of the agricultural sector and the authorities was immediate. First, the facts are clarified: from November 12 to December 23, three thousand tons of fats destined for industrial use were distributed for animal feed. The culprits are identified and punished. The federal and regional governments are now announcing legislative measures to improve control mechanisms and prevent the recurrence of such incidents. The spirit of these improvements points to one main goal : to increase transparency, to make it easier for people to get information. Giving advertising as a vaccine against scandals.

In contrast to the German commitment to transparency, I am thinking, for example, of the Andalusian scam with the ERE and the repeated refusals of political representatives, from the City Council of Seville to the Parliament, to investigate the matter. Justice must take its course -something that is not obvious in our country-, but nothing prevents that, in parallel, the parliaments set up the corresponding commissions research. Their effectiveness can be questioned, but the refusal to investigate gives off a whiff of cover-up.

As the writer Elias Canetti showed, secrecy is at the heart of power. If a government evades the public discussion and tries to conceal its dealings, it is usually because it has no compelling reasons to justify its policies or, even worse, because it is pursuing unspeakable ends. Transparency in all steps of the deliberative and executive process is the best measure to prevent corruption.