Mogherini resigns as Rector of the College of Europe

Former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has resigned as rector of the College of Europe amid an investigation into possible fraud. She announced her immediate resignation in a statement released on Thursday.

According to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), the investigation concerns suspected misuse of EU funds intended for the training of young diplomats.

Mogherini’s lawyer said his client denies any wrongdoing and is fully cooperating with investigators. An EPPO spokesperson declined to comment on further details, citing the ongoing investigation.

Another suspect in the case, senior EU diplomat Stefano Sannino, said in an email to staff on Wednesday that he would take early retirement at the beginning of the month. He said he did not consider it appropriate to remain in office during the probe and added that he was “confident that everything will be clarified”. He has not responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Mogherini served as the EU’s High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy and head of its diplomatic service from 2014 to 2019. She became rector of the College of Europe, a postgraduate institute of European studies, in 2020.

Before that, she served for eight months as Italy’s foreign minister under the government of Matteo Renzi – a choice seen as surprising at the time due to her relatively limited high-level diplomatic experience.

Mogherini and Sannino are well-known figures in Brussels’ diplomatic circles, and news of the allegations caused significant turmoil within EU institutions. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the accusations as “deeply troubling” in a letter to staff, but stressed they should not overshadow the good work done by the vast majority of employees.

(reuters, lud)