The European Union's former foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, has resigned from her prestigious academic posts after being formally accused in a major corruption investigation.
Resignations and Formal Accusations
In a statement sent to staff on Thursday, Mogherini announced her resignation as Rector of the College of Europe and as Director of the EU Diplomatic Academy. She stated her decision was made "in line with the utmost rigour and fairness" with which she has always carried out her duties. The move follows the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) issuing formal charges against her and two others this week.
The EPPO's accusations centre on the tender process for setting up the EU Diplomatic Academy, a school for junior diplomats launched in 2023 with a budget of nearly €1 million. Prosecutors allege "procurement fraud and corruption, conflict of interest and violation of professional secrecy". They have "strong suspicions" that confidential information was shared with one of the candidates bidding for the contract, which was awarded by the EU's foreign service, the European External Action Service (EEAS), in 2021-22.
Key Figures and Institutional Fallout
Alongside Mogherini, Stefano Sannino, the top civil servant at the EEAS from 2021-24, has also been formally accused. Sannino, who later led the European Commission's department for the Middle East and North Africa, is "no longer active in his function". The Commission confirmed he has taken leave until his planned retirement at year's end, emphasising the presumption of innocence. In a letter to staff, Sannino said he was "confident in the work of the magistrates".
Mogherini's lawyer, Mariapaola Cherchi, told the Associated Press her client was "transparent, clear and serene" during a 10-hour questioning and expressed confidence she would be cleared. The investigation has included raids on the EEAS headquarters in Brussels and on Mogherini's home.
Political Repercussions and Broader Context
The case is likely to be seized upon by critics of the EU. Notably, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau retweeted an article about the indictment, criticising Mogherini's past description of communist Cuba as a "one-party democracy" in a 2016 human rights report. That report, released under her tenure, also documented the harassment of political opponents on the island.
Mogherini served as the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs from 2014 to 2019 before becoming Rector of the elite College of Europe, which has campuses in Bruges, Natolin and Tirana. She had just begun a second five-year term in September, with a press release praising her role in establishing the Diplomatic Academy to train a "future generation of European-minded diplomats". The EPPO reiterated that all accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty by the competent Belgian courts.
