Laura Kövesi Ends Seven-Year Term as EU Chief Prosecutor

Laura Codruța Kövesi ends her seven-year term as the first chief prosecutor of the European Public Prosecutor's Office on October 30, 2026. She led the institution from its creation and oversaw its operational launch in Luxembourg on June 1, 2021.

During her term, active cases grew nearly sevenfold in four years, rising from 515 in 2021 to 3,602 by the end of 2025. Estimated damages in active cases reached 67.27 billion euros, while European prosecutors opened 2,030 new investigations in 2025 alone.

“Professionalism has no gender, competence has no age, and integrity has no nationality.”

The conviction rate in cases resolved by verdict stood at nearly 95 percent. The European Commission evaluated EPPO's work positively in a report published on September 18, noting efficient operation and a significant increase in activity volume.

Kövesi warned that budget cuts and bureaucratic inertia threaten the office's future, saying she fears it will be quietly dismantled precisely because it does its job well. She also stressed that independence and credibility remain the main challenges for her successor.

German prosecutor Andrés Ritter will take over leadership on November 1, 2026, for a non-renewable seven-year term. Ritter has worked in the German judicial system since 1995 and has served as deputy chief prosecutor since November 2020; his appointment was approved by the European Parliament on March 10, 2026.

In a LinkedIn post, Kövesi said she leaves office with pride, gratitude, and confidence, adding that professionalism has no gender, competence has no age, and integrity has no nationality.