France has managed to sink to a new low in Transparency International's annual corruption index, proving that even the nation that gave us 'liberté, égalité, fraternité' can't resist a good old-fashioned graft scandal. The country that routinely lectures other nations about democratic values apparently has 'absolutely no political leadership in the fight against corruption,' according to Transparency International France's CEO.

The irony is particularly rich given France's habit of wagging fingers at developing nations while its own officials engage in headline-grabbing scandals. Beyond the spectacular cases making news, the organization identified a systematic lack of political will to address corruption — suggesting French politicians are about as committed to fighting graft as they are to speaking English.