Laura Codruta Kovesi voted for the position of European chief prosecutor
The former head of the National Anticorruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi, has become favorite to take over the European Public Prosecutor's Office
Bogdan Matei, 20.09.2019, 13:50
The former head of the National
Anticorruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi, has received the backing of
the Council of the European Union in her race for the position of European
chief prosecutor. On Thursday the Committee of Representatives of European
Union Member States gave Kovesi 17 of the 22 votes in favor. The European
Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) will be founded next year and start its
activity in 2021. According to European law, the European prosecutor is jointly
appointed by Parliament and the Council for a one-time seven-year term in
office. Pundits say Kovesi is almost sure to take over, as the European
Parliament has expressed its support for the Romanian candidate both in the
previous and in the current tenure. Having spearheaded the fight against
corruption for years, but also believed to have instrumented an abusive
prosecution system, Kovesi has often been labeled as Romania’s most powerful
woman.
Shortly before being sacked last year in June, following a
Constitutional Court ruling, Kovesi admitted during a debate venued at the UN
headquarters in New York, that Romania’s greatest challenge remains the
preservation of the independence of judges and prosecutors. There have
been repeated attempts at modifying anticorruption legislation to limit the
legislative instruments used by anticorruption prosecutors or to decriminalize
certain offences. There have been cases where requests to lift the immunity of
politicians charged with corruption were turned down. The whole justice system
has seen attacks by means of fake news or public statements aimed at weakening
public credibility in the system, Kovesi said, claiming the
Social-Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in power
have tried to rein in the fight against corruption and subordinate magistrates.
Beyond controversies, the facts speak volumes. In the last five years with
Kovesi at its helm, the Directorate has prosecuted 14 ministers and former
ministers and 53 MPs. Of these, 27 were handed final sentences. During the same
period, the Directorate seized over 2.3 million dollars in assets.
The recently
appointed pro-European Prime Minister in the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu,
has offered Laura Codruta Kovesi the leadership of the Anti-graft Prosecutor’s
Office in Moldova. Conversely, the political class in Bucharest has had
contrasting reactions to Thursday’s vote. Social-Democrat Prime Minister
Viorica Dancila and the leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, Calin
Popescu-Tariceanu have overtly expressed their discontent and reiterated
criticism against Kovesi. President Klaus Iohannis and the National Liberal
Party and Save Romania Union in opposition have hailed Thursday’s vote, which
some say they tried to take credit for. According to Mrs. Kovesi, the vote is
also the result of the civic actions and street protests staged by ordinary
citizens, who have constantly supported her ever since she was sacked from the
helm of the Directorate, believing, as she often said, that corruption can be
defeated, never give up!
(Translated by V. Palcu)
