The head of Romania’s National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), Laura Codruta Kovesi, is included on a list released on Wednesday by the politico.eu website, called ‘The 28 people from 28 countries who are shaping, shaking and stirring Europe,’ together with other public figures, one of each EU member state, including European Commissioners Vladis Dombrosvskis (the Euro and Social Dialogue) and Margrethe Vestager (Competition), Hungarian PM Viktor Orban, Scotland’s incumbent PM Nicola Sturgeon, as well as Belgian singer Stromae.
When asked by politico.eu what would her advertising slogan for Europe be, Laura Codruta Kovesi said: “More education, less corruption.”
She said she does not admire any historic figure in particular, pointing out that she admires “people who managed to do something in life, who are serious, responsible and professional.”
“The first woman to be Romania’s prosecutor general, Laura Codruta Kovesi, was only 33 when appointed in 2006. Seven years later, she marked another milestone when she was named the head of the Romanian Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), an institution created to fight high-level corruption in the years when Romania was preparing to join the EU. Ever since, she has presided over corruption cases of leading Romanian politicians from all parties: former minister Elena Udrea; Bucharest mayor Sorin Oprescu; former president Traian Basescu’s brother, who was arrested when Basescu was still in office; and, at the time of indictment in September, then-prime minister Victor Ponta,” says the online publication.
Politico.eu also points out that in the first nine months of 2015, the DNA indicted 14 former or current legislators; four ministers; Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who resigned in November; and 10 city mayors.
Kovesi tells politico.eu that things have changed in Romania since the early ’90s, discrimination disappeared from the judicial system, and job assignments and promotions are now based on other criteria.
To those who criticize her claiming that she is playing political games, the DNA head responds that the DNA goes after all officials suspected of corruption, with politicians from all parties having been investigated over the past few years and 90 percent of the indictments ending up in convictions, proving that evidence is solid and judicial procedure respected.
“For the fight against corruption to succeed, our will, determination and skill are not sufficient,” Kovesi says. “It’s vital that prosecutors’ independence and the institutional stability of DNA remain unaltered,” the DNA head also told politico.eu.
