Former EU Diplomat Federica Mogherini Under Investigation for Fraud

Fri Dec 05 2025 15:37:29 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The former High Representative of the EU, Federica Mogherini, faces serious fraud allegations linked to her tenure and leadership roles at the College of Europe and the European External Action Service.

Federica Mogherini, the former EU foreign policy chief, is embroiled in a fraud investigation by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO). The probe, involving searches at her institutions, centers on allegations of procurement fraud and favoritism related to EU-funded training programs for junior diplomats, alongside two other officials. They were formally notified of the charges but released without being charged, as investigations continued.

The EU's former foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, has been accused of fraud as part of an EU investigation into the misuse of funds, the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) has said.

The EPPO stated that searches were conducted on Tuesday at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, where Mogherini serves, as well as at the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels, the office she directed during her term as the bloc's top diplomat.

The investigation centers on EU-funded training for junior diplomats, according to the EPPO.

Alongside Mogherini, a senior staff member from the College of Europe and a high-ranking official from the European Commission were also detained, the prosecutor's office reported.

The EPPO outlined that the three individuals were formally informed about accusations of procurement fraud, corruption, conflict of interest, and violations of professional secrecy.

All were subsequently released as they were not deemed a flight risk, and their residences were searched.

Belgian law allows for such detentions without formal charges, effectively maintaining their suspect status.

This investigation focuses on a tender awarded to the College of Europe by the EEAS between 2021 and 2022, amid strong suspicions of favoritism in relation to training courses for junior diplomats.

The EPPO has not disclosed the names of the detained individuals, but mentioned that the immunity of several suspects has been lifted as part of this investigation.

The College of Europe, an independent institution for aspiring EU civil servants, is closely affiliated with the EU, receiving partial funding from it.

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