The article provides that a member’s rights may be suspended by its partners over “systemic threats” to basic EU values. Laura Codruta Kovesi, Romania’s former chief anti-corruption prosecutor and thorn in the side of the government, was forced out of her job last year by the justice minister. During her five-year tenure at the helm, conviction rates for high-level graft jumped across the political spectrum, drawing EU praise. Kovesi is fighting the dismissal in the European Court of Human Rights but has also faced bribery and abuse of office charges and travel restrictions at home. Although member states have backed French candidate Jean-François Bohnert for the EU job, Kovesi has been endorsed by the co-legislator, the European Parliament.

Source: The Irish Times May 19, 2019 23:03 UTC