Romanian justice minister forces president’s hand with controversial nomination for head of anti-graft unit

Romania’s justice minister Tudorel Toader announced on Monday, October 15, that he sent president Klaus Iohannis his proposal to name Adina Florea as chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), local Mediafax reported. The minister sent his nomination to the president despite the negative opinion and harsh report of the Superior Magistracy Council’s prosecutor section. The CSM prosecutors questioned Adina Florea’s capacity to understand the concept of “prosecutor independence” and ruled that she was unfit to take over as head of the anticorruption unit, one of the most important in Romania. President Klaus Iohannis can reject the justice minister’s proposal for head of DNA only once and motivate his decision, according to the new law on the magistrates’ status, which entered into force last week. Thus, Iohannis has very few options. He can reject Florea’s nomination based on CSM’s opinion but he will have no veto on who the justice minister nominates next. editor@romania-insider.com (photo source: Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea)