Ukraine pushes merit-based selection for Prosecutor General after corruption scandal

The escape of ex-Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko after the "Carthage" investigation exposed alleged criminal networks within Ukraine's prosecution service and sparked mass protests. Anastasia Radina, chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Anti-Corruption Policy, contends that future appointments must be decided by an open, competitive process focused on competence, integrity and leadership. She helped draft legislation that would require merit-based competition prior to any political nomination, aligning with European Commission recommendations for EU accession benchmarks.

Surveys show only 26% of Ukrainians trust the prosecution service, but 56% would have more confidence if independent experts oversaw the selection. While no system can fully prevent abuse, a transparent competition could shift incentives and reduce politicisation of the powerful prosecutor-general role.