Anti-Graft Crusader Wins Uphill Battle for Top EU Prosecutor Job

(Bloomberg) -- European Union ambassadors backed a former anti-corruption crusader from Romania to become the European Union’s first chief prosecutor, defying objections from her own government and other leaders’ endorsement of a rival candidate.

Booted from her job at home after leading a drive that put scores of top-level officials behind bars, Laura Codruta Kovesi won support from the bloc’s representatives to establish an office that investigates and prosecutes crimes including fraud against the bloc’s 140 billion-euro ($155 billion) budget.

“I hope today’s vote and this appointment, once finalized, will encourage all the prosecutors and judges to continue the fight against corruption despite all the pressure they face,” Kovesi said in a phone interview. “It’s clearly a victory of the entire judiciary system.”

Despite winning support from EU lawmakers in February, her candidacy was challenged when the bloc’s governments endorsed French rival Jean-Francois Bohnert. It took months of political wrangling to reach an agreement.

“This victory has two ingredients: Kovesi’s impressive reputation and trust among member states and citizens, and the second is the political negotiation that took place in which we all used all our efforts to support this candidacy,” Siegfried Muresan, vice president of the European People’s Party group in the European Parliament, said by phone on Thursday.

Future Conflict

The approval, expected to receive final ratification by EU government leaders, may set the stage for future conflict with some member states, including in the bloc’s former communist east like Poland and Hungary, which have clashed with Brussels over the rule of law.

It’s also a blow against Romania’s ruling Socialist party, which has repeatedly tried to throw up barriers to an unprecedented fight against corruption spearheaded by the 46-year-old lawyer.

The Socialist-led government has tried to force through changes to judicial legislation, bringing hundreds of thousands of Romanians into the streets in protests.

The party defied international objections and fired her as chief prosecutor last year after efforts led to the imprisonment of top officials, including former Socialist leader and Prime Minister Liviu Dragnea.

Read More: Council of Europe Scolds Romania for Not Tackling Corruption

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said on Thursday that her government doesn’t endorse Kovesi for the top EU prosecutor post. Despite recent promises from Dancila to refrain from more judiciary law changes, the Council of Europe warned Romania again in July over its lack of progress in fighting corruption.

To contact the reporter on this story: Andra Timu in Bucharest at atimu@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Andrea Dudik at adudik@bloomberg.net, Michael Winfrey

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.