Laura Codruta Kovesi voted for the position of European chief prosecutor

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

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)



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Publicat: 2019-09-20 13:50:00
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