Former European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is currently facing corruption allegations alongside two other individuals. Both were arrested during a recent fraud investigation, as prosecutors announced on Wednesday. This situation constitutes another significant scandal for the 27-nation bloc. It poses a potential risk to the EU’s international reputation, particularly as it seeks to enhance its influence in negotiations related to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The EU has been actively encouraging Ukraine to address its pervasive corruption challenges.
Authorities in Belgium executed the arrests on Tuesday, following searches of the offices of the EU diplomatic service in Brussels and a college in Bruges. Mogherini currently serves as rector of the College of Europe, a renowned institution focused on European studies. According to a statement from the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, Mogherini, a senior staff member at the college, and a senior official from the European Commission were detained at the prosecutor’s office’s request and subsequently questioned by the Belgian Federal Judicial Police.
The allegations involve procurement fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest, and violations of professional secrecy. As they are not considered flight risks, the three individuals have been released.
During her tenure as the EU’s top diplomat from 2014 to 2019, Mogherini oversaw critical initiatives, including the Iran nuclear negotiations and efforts to improve relations between Serbia and Kosovo, as well as addressing various foreign policy and security matters. Law enforcement conducted searches of the suspects’ properties and of multiple buildings associated with the college and the European External Action Service (EEAS) headquarters in Brussels, which serves as the EU’s foreign office.
No external actor or country has been named in relation to the investigation to date. In response to the situation, Mogherini has stated that she has “clarified” her position with investigators.
“I have full confidence in the justice system, and I trust that the correctness of the College’s actions will be ascertained,” she said. Mogherini’s lawyer, Mariapaola Cherchi, told The Associated Press that her client was “transparent, clear and serene” during her 10-hour questioning. She conveyed her confidence that Mogherini will be exonerated, remarking, “Given the clarity of the interrogation, there was no tension on either side.” The college has affirmed its commitment to fully cooperate with the investigation and uphold the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and compliance in all academic and administrative matters.
The prosecutor’s office, which operates as an independent public organisation within the European Union, has indicated “strong suspicions” of fraud in the award of a tender for a training programme conducted at the EU Diplomatic Academy for junior diplomats during the 2021-22 period. Josep Borrell, the former Vice President of the European Commission, oversaw the European External Action Service (EEAS) at that time.
The financial amounts implicated in this case are relatively modest. To establish the EU Diplomatic Academy, the European Union allocated €1.7 million to the training programme, scheduled from July 2024 to June 2025. This corruption inquiry involving Mogherini represents the latest challenge facing European institutions.
In 2022, significant revelations emerged about a cash-for-influence scheme known as “Qatargate.” This situation involved high-profile centre-left EU lawmakers, along with their assistants, lobbyists, and family members. It has been alleged that officials from Qatar and Morocco engaged in bribery to influence decision-making processes. Both nations have denied these accusations. To date, no individuals have been convicted or are in pretrial detention, and the potential for a trial remains uncertain.
In March of this year, several arrests were made in connection with a separate investigation into the Chinese company Huawei, which is suspected of bribing EU lawmakers. Furthermore, last year, an aide to prominent far-right EU lawmaker Maximilian Krah was arrested in another unrelated case, with German prosecutors alleging that the aide acted as a Chinese agent. Krah, who has since transitioned to the German federal legislature, has denied any prior knowledge of the allegations against his former aide.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
