Laura Codruța Kövesi: A reflection of the European Union's judicial systems

Wednesday, Dec 3, 2025

EU Chief Prosecutor Kövesi’s work exposes anti-corruption limits across Romania, Greece, and Bulgaria.

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The work of Laura Codruța Kövesi, the EU’s first Chief Prosecutor, serves as a diagnostic tool across Europe, revealing the strengths and weaknesses of national anti-corruption systems. In Romania, her tenure symbolized a brief period of strong anti-corruption momentum, though recent setbacks have caused public disillusionment. In Greece, she is viewed with mixed feelings—some see her as a hope for impartial justice against corruption, while others are tempered by slow judicial processes. Conversely, in Bulgaria, the “Kövesi Effect” exposes systemic fragility, with skepticism growing as national institutions appear entangled in political dysfunction despite European oversight efforts. Ultimately, Kövesi’s role is not to transform these systems but to expose their true state of power and resistance, compelling member states to address the realities reflected back at them.


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