Belgian police arrest Federica Mogherini amid EU fraud probe

On Tuesday, December 2, Belgian authorities conducted raids at the EU diplomatic office in Brussels, the College of Europe in Bruges, and private residences as part of an investigation into misuse of EU funds.

The early-morning raids across Belgium involved the seizure of documents and the detention of three individuals for questioning on suspicion of procurement fraud, corruption, and criminal conflict of interest.

Federica Mogherini, the former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, was one of the three arrested by Belgian police on Tuesday during the large-scale investigation into financial fraud at the Bruges academy.

According to witnesses, around ten officers entered the European External Action Service (EEAS) headquarters Tuesday morning; another EU official from the diplomatic service confirmed the raid.

The criminal investigation was launched following reports of misuse of public EU funds by the EEAS and the College of Europe in 2021 and 2022.

These raids represent the latest major scandal in EU institutions and increase pressure on the College of Europe and its president, Federica Mogherini, who previously managed the EEAS and began her second five-year term in Bruges this year.

Belgium’s federal police from West Flanders and the EU Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), under the supervision of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, participated in the operation.

Investigators are examining whether the College of Europe or its representatives had prior knowledge of a public tender to finance the new EU diplomatic academy—an annual training program for European diplomats in Bruges.

Founded in 1949, the College of Europe is considered a postgraduate school for EU diplomats and civil servants, with graduates including politicians and senior EU officials.

According to sources familiar with the investigation, investigators are focusing on the €3.2 million purchase of a building on Spanjaardstraat in Bruges by the College, which serves as housing for diplomats attending the academy. The College acquired the building in 2022 during a period of financial pressure.

Investigators are reviewing claims that the College of Europe and its representatives had access to confidential information about the tender, which was supposed to remain secret to ensure fair competition among institutions bidding to host the new academy.

The EU Anti-Fraud Office, which has administrative powers to investigate suspected EU fund fraud, interviewed several individuals before submitting findings to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which is responsible for investigating and prosecuting serious crimes against EU interests.

There is no indication that either OLAF or the European Public Prosecutor’s Office has reached conclusions about wrongdoing, and no one has been formally charged.

Both the College of Europe and the new EU diplomatic academy are managed under Mogherini, the former Italian Foreign Minister, who served as EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs from 2014 to 2019 and oversaw the EEAS. Mogherini became president of the College in 2020 and director of the academy at its launch in 2022.