In a dramatic turn of events, four high-ranking European Commission officials have been implicated in separate corruption investigations within a mere 24 hours, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the EU’s leadership. On December 2, 2025, Belgian authorities arrested former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, a senior EU diplomat, and a European Commission official as part of a fraud investigation.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has officially accused them of various crimes, including procurement fraud and breach of professional secrecy, linked to suspected financial misconduct concerning EU-funded training programs for junior diplomats.
Although they were detained, they were later released, deemed not to be flight risks. Mogherini, who served as the EU’s high representative for foreign and security policy from 2014 to 2019, has been the rector of the College of Europe since 2020. All accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The following day, December 3, 2025, the EPPO expanded its investigation to include Kaja Kallas, Vice President of the European Commission and head of the European External Action Service (EEAS).
Authorities are scrutinizing whether Kallas’s team neglected to report irregularities in funding for the EU Diplomatic Academy during her tenure. Kallas has pledged full cooperation with the inquiry and affirmed her commitment to transparency.
These allegations have cast a shadow over the European Commission, raising questions regarding President Ursula von der Leyen’s ability to manage this unfolding crisis. The quick succession of corruption allegations against top officials highlights serious concerns about the effectiveness of internal oversight within the EU, placing added pressure on the Commission to restore public trust and uphold accountability and transparency as investigations proceed.
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