Ukraine’s EU integration chief questions open contest for prosecutor general
Vsevolod Chentsov said an open contest is neither required by the EU nor, in his view, needed. EU accession benchmarks call for a less political, more transparent selection process.
Vsevolod Chentsov, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for European integration, argued against an open contest to choose the country’s prosecutor general in an Oct. 19 interview, The Kyiv Independent reported. His position brings the method of selecting Ukraine’s chief prosecutor into focus as the country works to meet EU rule of law benchmarks.
Chentsov told Ukrainian outlet Yevropeiska Pravda that the EU does not require an open competition and that such contests are not standard practice in Europe, according to The Kyiv Independent. He said he personally saw neither a need nor a possibility for one.
Chentsov’s view of the appointment process
Chentsov pointed to Ukraine’s Constitution and the roles of the president and parliament in appointing a prosecutor general. He also said there was room to discuss how to make the process transparent and choose candidates on professional qualifications. In his account, the task is to balance political independence with professional competence.
As quoted by The Kyiv Independent, Ukraine’s interim EU accession benchmarks call for depoliticizing the prosecutor general’s position and making selection and dismissal procedures more objective, transparent and merit-based, taking European standards into account. The benchmark sets out the goal for the process without prescribing an open contest.
Prosecutor general reform and EU accession
A plan approved in December by Taras Kachka and EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos called for a comprehensive review of the selection and dismissal process to bring it into line with European best practice, The Kyiv Independent reported. The outlet said the EU and Ukraine launched a task force the previous week to implement that plan and the EU’s rule of law benchmarks.
An unnamed EU official told The Kyiv Independent that the benchmarks do not call for an elected prosecutor general, but that the selection process should change. The official described the involvement of independent international vetters as the EU’s gold standard. Chentsov’s objection to an open contest does not settle which safeguards Ukraine will adopt.
The European Commission says Ukraine’s accession process includes a cluster opened in June 2026 covering core values and principles, including the rule of law and democratic institutions. The prosecutor general debate concerns one part of that wider accession process, in which Ukraine’s institutional reforms are under scrutiny.
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Sources and context
- Ukraine's EU integration chief slams proposal to pick chief prosecutor in open contestThe Kyiv Independent
- Ukraine’s path towards EU accessionEuropean Commission
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.