Ex-boss arrested in raid on EU foreign service

TT

Updated 13.58 | Published 11.31

 

The EU's former foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has reportedly been arrested, suspected of corruption surrounding her current workplace at the EU university College of Europe. File photo. Photo: Virginia Mayo/AP/TT

High-ranking EU officials have been arrested by Belgian police, suspected of fraud, in a raid on the EU's own universities and foreign service.

One of those arrested is said to be former foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

The raids early Tuesday morning were carried out at both the EEAS office in central Brussels and at the College of Europe university in Bruges, reports the news site Euractiv. A couple of private homes were also reportedly searched.

The EU's Public Prosecutor's Office EPPO stated in a statement that there are suspicions that the procurement of a training program for young diplomats in 2021 and 2022 was rigged in advance to benefit the College of Europe.

One of those arrested is said to be the EU's former foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who led the EEAS from 2014 to 2019 and was also Italy's foreign minister before that. Mogherini has been the rector of the College of Europe in Bruges since 2020.

Also arrested is fellow countryman Stefano Sannini, a long-time top Italian diplomat and Secretary General of the EEAS until January this year, according to information provided to the newspaper Le Soir. A third person arrested is said to be one of the heads of the College of Europe.

Around ten police officers are said to have participated in the crackdown on the EEAS, which has been formally led by Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas since November 2024.

FACTS

Federica Mogherini

Italian Federica Mogherini (born 1973) was the EU's foreign policy chief and also vice-president of the European Commission from 2014 to 2019.

She was previously a member of the Italian parliament for the social democratic PD from 2008 to 2014 and foreign minister in the government of then-prime minister Matteo Renzi between February and October 2014.

Mogherini resigned after her maximum two terms of office (of 2.5 years each) in the autumn of 2019 and the following year became rector of the EU's own university, the College of Europe, in Bruges.