Prosecutor Kovesi on LIBE Committee vote: This vote is for the entire Romanian justice system

Romania's former chief anti-graft prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi said on Wednesday that the vote in the LIBE Committee of the European Parliament is for the entire judiciary in Romania and for all the citizens of the country. "I am very honoured by this vote, I am very glad. This vote is not just for me, this vote is for the entire Romanian justice system, this vote is for all the citizens in Romania who have supported the fight against corruption in recent years and have supported the rule of law; it is a vote for all European prosecutors and judges working under pressure," Kovesi said upon arriving from Brussels. She added that she did not ask for the government's support to get the position of chief prosecutor of the European Public Prosecutor's Office, nor did she expect it. "I have filed the papers for the procedure myself, I registered as a professional prosecutor. I did not have the support of the Romanian Government; I did not ask for it, nor did I expect it, nor do I expect it. I am honoured to have passed the interview with the technical committee first, I am honoured by the vote today, but we have to wait for the final decision to be taken by politicians. It will be a political decision following negotiations between the (EU) Council and the European Parliament. I did all that was expected of me," Kovesi said. Kovesi garnered the most votes in the LIBE Committee on Wednesday after hearings for the position of chief prosecutor of the European Public Prosecutor's Office. She got 26 votes to French candidate Jean-Francois Bohnert's 22 and German candidate Andres Ritter's one, according to the LIBE Committee. AGERPRES (RO - author: Mihai Stoica, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN- author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)