EU Public Prosecutor’s Office will be ‘killed softly for doing its job’ says outgoing chief
The European Public Prosecutor's Office faces being 'killed softly' for doing its job, warns outgoing chief Laura Codruța Kövesi as her seven-year tenure ends.
In an exclusive interview with POLITICO to mark the end of her seven-year tenure, Kövesi delivered stark warnings about the future of the EPPO. 'As I leave my office, I think of this famous Danish TV show Borgen. There is a very famous saying there: 'In Brussels, no one can hear you scream,' and unfortunately, this is true,' she said.
Kövesi expressed particular concern about the EPPO's independence, noting that during the selection process for her successor, one candidate spoke of 'normalizing' the office while another mentioned maintaining 'equal distance' between prosecutors and political parties.
I am concerned that the EPPO is going to be killed softly because it's doing its job.
Budget and staffing challenges
Kövesi outlined three main threats to the EPPO's effectiveness: underfunding, bureaucratic delays, and institutional complexity. 'On paper we should have 230 European delegated prosecutors, and we have money only for 180,' she explained, noting the office has funding for only one third of required security service costs.
The EPPO has faced particular difficulties in Poland and Hungary, where staffing and budget shortfalls have undermined its credibility. 'We agreed that we need 24 European delegated prosecutors in Poland. The expectations were huge, and our credibility is at stake. In this moment, we have only 15,' Kövesi stated.
Political resistance
The outgoing chief highlighted resistance from member states, particularly Greece and Poland, where attempts were made to undermine the EPPO's independence. 'The most blatant attempt to intimidate EPPO happened in Greece, where we had this issue with the renewal of the European delegated prosecutors,' Kövesi revealed.
Kövesi also addressed concerns about national sovereignty raised by some politicians. 'Is it better to have the sovereignty of criminals?' she asked rhetorically, noting that criminal organizations exploit fragmentation across the EU.
Achievements and future
Despite challenges, Kövesi pointed to significant achievements during her tenure. 'The level of detection increased in most of the member states, the level of successful cases increased, and obviously the protection of the EU budget is higher with the EPPO,' she stated.
Looking ahead, Kövesi emphasized that maintaining independence will be crucial for her successor. 'The key challenge for the EPPO and especially for my successor will be to keep the EPPO independent and credible,' she concluded.
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