Veronica Dragalin, head of Moldova’s Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA), resigned on February 19, citing an attempt to push through legislation that would dismantle the PA and weaken prosecutors’ ability to investigate top politicians.

Dragalin, who has been in open conflict with Moldova’s executive and ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) for months, suggested her resignation was aimed at preventing the bill’s adoption. The proposed legislation, tabled for debate in parliament on February 20, would dissolve the PA and the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organised Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS), replacing them with the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime (PACCO).

“The law proposed by 29 members of parliament, which envisages the liquidation of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, is an attack on the justice system. This bill undermines the progress we have made, compromises the independence of the judiciary, and weakens our country's ability to hold those in power accountable,” Dragalin wrote in a Facebook post.

If Dragalin enters politics, she could boost the credibility of a pro-EU opposition party challenging the PAS, potentially more effectively than former prosecutor and 2024 presidential candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo, who remains associated with the pro-Russian Socialists.

Her dispute with President Maia Sandu — who reportedly supported her appointment — escalated in 2024, when Sandu criticised the PA for failing to prevent “electoral and political” corruption, particularly vote-buying schemes linked to fugitive businessman Ilan Shor. Dragalin, in turn, accused the government of pressuring prosecutors to avoid investigating top officials.

Justice Minister Veronica Mihailov-Moraru, who sponsored the bill, proposed two alternative solutions: merging the PA and PCCOCS or transferring complex political corruption and organised crime cases to a specialised section within the Prosecutor General’s Office.

Dragalin has repeatedly argued that the merger, lawmakers’ preferred option, was designed to remove her from office.

“No plausible or convincing arguments were presented to justify the need for such a merger,” the PA told local media outlet Unimedia.

The Prosecutor General’s Office has also raised concerns, warning of “medium- and long-term risks” posed by the restructuring.

As regards the PA’s general performance, former justice minister Olesea Stamate of the PAS, who criticised the bill and asked for the Venice Commission's opinion on it, has admitted that more efforts should be made.