[15 December 2025] The recent detention and charging of the European Union’s former foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, in a fraud investigation should be a somber wake-up call for the EU and its member states. Alongside her, two senior figures are accused of procurement fraud, corruption, conflict of interest and violations of professional secrecy related to the EU-funded European Diplomatic Academy tender—a programme intended to train future diplomats but now at the center of a high-profile probe.
Mogherini’s arrest and the raids on the European External Action Service and the College of Europe highlight how deep the crisis of reputation runs within the EU’s institutions. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), the independent body charged with tackling cross-border fraud involving EU funds, is still investigating whether fair competition rules were breached by prematurely sharing confidential tender information.
Yet the broader context makes the EU’s anti-corruption mechanisms look sluggish and opaque. Three years after the so-called “Qatargate” broke open with the dramatic December 2022 arrest of former Vice-President of the European Parliament Eva Kaili—found with bags of cash and accused of participation in a criminal organisation, corruption and money laundering—there is still no trial date in sight. Kaili, stripped of her parliamentary immunity and mired in legal limbo, symbolizes how slow and convoluted EU judicial and investigative proceedings can be even in the face of egregious allegations.
For Brussels, the optics are damaging. Both cases involve senior figures at the heart of EU policymaking and diplomacy. The perception of high-level impunity erodes public trust in the institutions that champion rule of law and democratic governance. The EU has built a reputation as a normative power—advocating transparency, accountability, and anti-corruption abroad—yet its internal mechanisms seem to struggle with delivering timely justice at home.
There are structural reasons behind these delays: cross-border investigations in the EU entail complex coordination among national authorities, differing legal systems, and procedural protections such as parliamentary immunity. But these explanations grow thin when senior figures can languish for years without resolution. The pendulum between protecting due process and ensuring swift accountability is out of balance.
The EU’s institutional credibility is not merely a matter of internal pride. Corruption scandals at this level undermine the Union’s ability to project moral authority in global diplomacy and foreign assistance. If Brussels cannot demonstrate an efficient and transparent response to potential misuse of EU funds, it weakens the Union’s hand when pressing partners or aspirant members on judicial reform or governance standards.
Reforms are overdue. Strengthening the EPPO, harmonising procedural timelines across member states, and enhancing transparency around ongoing investigations without prejudicing legal outcomes are essential steps. Otherwise, cynicism toward EU governance will deepen among citizens and partners alike.
The allegations against Mogherini and the lingering uncertainty around Kaili’s fate are not isolated scandals; they are symptomatic of systemic weaknesses. To preserve public trust and international standing, the EU must demonstrate not only that corruption can be rooted out, but that justice is neither slow nor selective. The rule of law must be upheld efficiently and visibly—at home, as fervently as it is promoted abroad. [EIA]