EU anti-fraud watchdogs must be free to investigate power

At the end of her seven-year tenure as chief of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), Laura Codruța Kövesi issued a blunt warning. She stated that the anti-fraud body is being "killed softly for doing its job".

Her warning comes as EU prosecutors maintain unanswered questions regarding Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's Covid-19 vaccine negotiations with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla. Little demonstrable progress has been made in that high-profile investigation.

Institutional friction over transparency is not limited to prosecutorial work. Media organisations and publishers have recently urged the European Commission to address growing concerns over restricted access to EU documents, while the EU ombudsman investigates secrecy surrounding funding for Gaza.

Sceptics may argue that central leaders require discretion to make swift, high-stakes decisions during crises without the threat of political paralysis. Yet shared European institutions can only command public authority if they submit to the same rule of law they ask member states to uphold. Constraining independent prosecutors or restricting document access damages credibility across the bloc.

Europe can build deeper integration only on a foundation of unyielding accountability. Ensuring that anti-fraud watchdogs receive the resources and autonomy they need is not an administrative burden; it is the prerequisite for democratic legitimacy.