Cristina Chiriac, proposed for the position of Prosecutor General, said on Tuesday that the criticism included in the negative opinion issued in her case by the Prosecutors' Section of the Superior Council of Magistrates (CSM) does not represent a drawback, but rather confirms the value of her experience within the specialized structures of the Public Prosecution Office.
The Ministry of Justice held new interviews on Tuesday with the prosecutors who had received negative opinions from the CSM.
"The criticism expressed does not concern only specific experience, but whether that experience is sufficient for me to lead the entire system. The experience I have gained at various levels of the Public Prosecution Office - both operational and managerial, in large prosecutor's offices and in specialized structures - provides not only knowledge but also the ability to integrate different perspectives and build systemic solutions. My experience in specialized structures is not a minus, but a gain. The strong point of my candidacy is precisely the dynamism of these structures' activities, a dynamism I intend to bring to the Public Prosecution Office too. Also, I consider that the Prosecutor General must know the system, but also be able to analyze it critically, to have experience but also openness to adaptation, to provide direction rather than simply reproduce existing models," Chiriac said during her second interview before the commission at the Justice Ministry.
Asked by Justice Minister Radu Marinescu about improving the investigation of crimes committed by magistrates, Chiriac said the CSM's proposal procedure for appointing prosecutors should be eliminated.
"The appointment procedure is cumbersome. In my view, the CSM proposal for prosecutors who meet the conditions to investigate crimes committed by magistrates should be removed. The issue is a real one: nationwide, there are currently only 38 prosecutors handling such cases, and in 2025 only two indictments were filed. This is due both to the small number of prosecutors and to the limited number of police officers seconded to the General Prosecutor's Office or working with prosecutors at the courts of appeal," she said.
Chiriac proposed allocating the necessary financial and human resources, seconding more police officers to the special investigations service at the General Prosecutor's Office, improving cooperation with police officers delegated to cases at the courts of appeal, and simplifying the appointment procedure for these magistrates.
The other two candidates who received negative opinions from the CSM Prosecutors' Section are Marinela Minca (proposed as Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate - DNA) and Gill-Julien Grigore-Iacobici (proposed as Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism - DIICOT).
For the remaining proposals submitted by the Minister of Justice, the CSM's specialized section issued the following evaluations: three positive opinions for Codrin Horatiu Miron (nominated for the position of DIICOT head), Viorel Cerbu (for DNA Chief Prosecutor), and Marius-Ionel Stefan (DNA Deputy Chief Prosecutor); tied votes (three votes "for" and three "against") in the case of Alex Florenta - proposed for DIICOT Deputy Chief Prosecutor, and Marius Voineag - for Deputy Prosecutor General.
Under the law, the CSM Prosecutors' Section issues an advisory opinion, after which the Minister of Justice submits the proposals to President Nicusor Dan.
If the Section issues a negative opinion, the Justice minister must organize a new interview with the candidate concerned. Following that interview, the minister may either proceed with sending the appointment proposal to the President - accompanied by all relevant documents - or withdraw it, triggering a new selection procedure within 60 days.
The President may refuse an appointment, with justification, and must make the reasons public. The presidential decree of appointment or the motivated refusal must be issued within 60 days of receiving the proposal from the Justice minister.
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