Scourge Of Romania's Politicians To Become EU Anti-graft Supremo

A symbol for many of the fight against corruption in one of the EU's most graft-ridden states, Romania's Laura Codruta Kovesi is now all but certain to become Europe's top prosecutor -- in the teeth of opposition from her own government

Bucharest, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Sep, 2019 ) :A symbol for many of the fight against corruption in one of the EU's most graft-ridden states, Romania's Laura Codruta Kovesi is now all but certain to become Europe's top prosecutor -- in the teeth of opposition from her own government.

As the head of Romania's National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) from 2013 to 2018, Kovesi was the scourge of Romania's political class, before being controversially removed at the left-wing government's behest.

Her likely EU appointment comes as that same government, led by the left-wing Social Democrats (PSD), pauses its controversial package of judicial reforms which have been fiercely criticised by the European Commission for suspected weakening of judicial independence.

The self-described "stubborn" Kovesi became a bete noire for the PSD but was popular among protesters, who have turned out in thousands since early 2017 to "defend the rule of law", often brandishing placards bearing Kovesi's name.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, who hails from the centre-right and has been at loggerheads with the government, often defended the 46-year-old Kovesi -- although he was eventually forced to approve her dismissal from the DNA.

Kovesi told AFP her endorsement as the EU's first-ever anti-fraud prosecutor was a "success for all Romanians who in the last few years supportedthe fight against corruption and for the rule of law and EU values".