Federica Mogherini, the former chief of EU foreign policy, stepped down from her role as rector of the European University on Thursday, just hours after being arrested and charged with corruption in an ongoing investigation.
Belgian authorities detained Mogherini along with two other individuals earlier this week. All three now face fraud charges, as outlined by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).
The investigation is focused on potential fraud linked to EU-funded training programs for aspiring diplomats, particularly concerning tenders awarded to the European External Action Service for European universities during the years 2021-2022. The College of Europe, the institution Mogherini was involved with, has ties to and receives partial funding from the European Union.
The EPPO mentioned in a document that there is a strong suspicion that during the tendering process, confidential information may have been improperly shared with one of the candidate organizations, violating fair competition regulations.
Mogherini was reportedly held for 10 hours for questioning before her release, with authorities not considering her a flight risk. The homes of the three suspects were searched, along with locations such as the EU’s foreign ministry in Brussels and the European External Action Service.
Shortly after her release, Mogherini announced her resignation from her positions at the University of Europe and the European Union Academy of Diplomacy through a memorandum published by the institution. She has held these roles since 2020.
In her memo, she expressed pride in their achievements and gratitude for the support she received from the university community.
Prior to her role at the University of Europe, Mogherini served as the EU’s foreign policy chief from 2014 to 2019 and briefly as Italy’s foreign minister.
The Guardian reported that Kaja Kalas, the current EU foreign policy chief, described the claims against Mogherini as shocking, emphasizing that such allegations should not detract from the positive work done by others in the organization.
The official signaled in a letter that integrity and accountability would only improve during her tenure, as she is in her first five-year term. She noted that the investigation demonstrates effective safeguards are operational.
The Guardian further mentioned that one of the other suspects may be Stefano Saninno, a high-ranking European Commission official who served as director general of the European External Action Service between 2021 and 2024.
The EPPO also shared that this ongoing inquiry stemmed from an original report to the European Office for the Prevention of Fraud (OLAF). The prosecutor’s office suggested that the investigation could uncover issues like procurement fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest, and breaches of professional secrecy.
“Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent Belgian court,” the EPPO added.
