As a result, National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) chief prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi will step down from the office she has held since 2013. The announcement was made by presidential spokesman Madalina Dobrovolschi on Monday morning, in a press conference held at Bucharest’s Cotroceni Palace.
“The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, has constantly stated that he respects the Constitution and the country’s laws and has always acted to that effect. Therefore, in enforcing the Constitutional Court decision no. 358/2018, the President of Romania has signed the decree to dismiss Ms. Laura Codruta Kovesi from the office of chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate,” announced the presidential spokesman.
Constitutional judges had previously decided that Iohannis must dismiss the DNA chief, after they found a constitutional conflict between his office and that of Justice Minister Tudorel Toader regarding the right to dismiss the country’s top prosecutors.
Toader had requested the dismissal of Kovesi in late February over claims of mismanagement and judicial abuses by DNA prosecutors, but the Romanian head of state refused, citing a lack of solid arguments for the measure.
Following the court’s decision, Iohannis delayed taking any action for over a month, stating that he was analyzing the reasoning behind the decision. This in turn prompted heavy criticism from the ruling PSD-ALDE coalition, with PSD leader Liviu Dragnea announcing that the coalition would decide on Monday whether they would start the procedure of suspending the president from office.
In the short term, Kovesi’s duties will be delegated to an interim chief prosecutor. Romania’s justice minister will have to nominate a new head of the anticorruption body, which will then take office pending the president’s approval.