Jersey deputy wins award at global conference

Deputy Raluca Kovacs has won the 2024 New Parliamentarian Award

A member of Reform Jersey has said she is "deeply honoured" after winning an award at a global meeting of politicians.

St Saviour Deputy Raluca Kovacs won the 2024 New Parliamentarian Award at the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) conference.

The CPA said she had been given the award "in recognition of her contribution to promoting parliamentary democracy".

The other awards presented at the event, held in Sydney, Australia, from 3 - 8 November, went to parliamentarians from Pakistan, Guyana and New South Wales.

'Special significance'

Ms Kovacs was first elected to Jersey's States Assembly in June 2022, and has served on a number of panels and committees.

The CPA said that she had "advanced the principles of good governance" since taking office, and referred to her proposal to increase financial support for parents with babies in neonatal care as one of the examples of her political successes.

In a post on LinkedIn, Ms Kovacs said: "As the first Romanian elected to a British parliament, this award holds special significance for me, highlighting my journey over the past two and a half years in an assembly where English is not my first language."

The CPA describes itself as an international community which works together to "deepen the Commonwealth’s commitment to the highest standards of democratic governance".