An unprecedented investigation by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) has sent shockwaves through Brussels and Rome, leading to the detention of Federica Mogherini, the EU's former top diplomat, and two other individuals from diplomatic circles. The arrests and subsequent raids at the Brussels headquarters of the European External Action Service (EEAS) and several College of Europe buildings in Bruges are part of a probe into suspected fraud, procurement fraud, corruption, and conflicts of interest related to EU-funded training for junior diplomats.

Federica Mogherini, born in Rome in 1973, has a long and distinguished political career. She began her political engagement as a teenager, joining the Italian Communist Youth Federation in 1988. Following the dissolution of the Italian Communist Party, she transitioned to the social democrats, the PD, where her career rapidly advanced. In 2008, she became a member of the Italian parliament, focusing on foreign affairs. Her significant breakthrough occurred in 2014 when she was appointed Foreign Minister under the government of Matteo Renzi.

Her tenure as foreign minister was brief, as she was nominated by Renzi that same year for the role of High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in the Juncker Commission. Despite initial pushback from Baltic states concerned about her Russia policy, she was appointed in 2014, a position she held until 2019. As the EU's chief diplomat, Mogherini's profile rose significantly, especially through her representation of the EU in negotiations for the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA).

After her mandate concluded, Mogherini was appointed Rector of the College of Europe in 2020. This appointment sparked criticism due to her perceived lack of academic credentials for the role and concerns about a potential conflict of interest, given that the College is primarily funded by the European Commission, her former employer. The College of Europe, founded in Bruges in 1949, is renowned as a postgraduate training ground and a springboard for students aiming to enter EU institutions, effectively serving as an incubator for eurocrats and a soft power tool, with annual fees amounting to €30,000.

Among the other individuals reportedly detained is Stefano Sannino, an Italian official who served as the secretary general of the EU’s external action service from 2021 to 2024 and is now a European Commission director general. Searches were also conducted at the houses of the suspects, and their immunity has been lifted at the request of the EPPO.

The core of the investigation by the EPPO, launched in 2021 to combat cross-border fraud involving EU funds, centers on whether the College of Europe or its representatives were privy to advance information about the tender for a training program for young diplomats before the official bidding process was launched. The EPPO has stated it has strong suspicions that rules on fair competition were breached and that confidential information was shared with one of the candidates participating in the tender. The College of Europe in Bruges was awarded a contract to run the European Union Diplomatic Academy for 2021-22 after a decision from the EU foreign service.

In response to the developments, the College of Europe stated via email that it would “fully cooperate with authorities in the interest of transparency and respect for the investigative process,” reaffirming its commitment to “the highest standards of integrity, fairness and compliance – both in academic and administrative matters.” A European Commission spokesperson confirmed an “ongoing investigation is happening into the activities that took place in the previous mandate” but declined to provide further details or name suspects. The EPPO has also declined to give further details to avoid endangering ongoing procedures. All persons involved are presumed innocent until proven guilty by the competent Belgian courts of law, as stated by the EPPO.