The European Union is once again confronting a credibility crisis at the highest levels of its leadership. A corruption scandal targeting former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has erupted into a political storm that now threatens the position of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. For an institution already shaken by years of internal division, vaccine procurement controversies, and political infighting, the Mogherini affair has injected new volatility into a fragile leadership landscape.

The scandal began on December 2, when Mogherini – who served as the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy from 2014 to 2019 – was detained and formally charged by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. The accusations include procurement fraud, corruption, conflict of interest, and breaches of professional secrecy. These charges relate to an EU-funded diplomatic training program allegedly marred by irregular contracts, personal favoritism, and misuse of EU funds.

Although Mogherini no longer holds an EU position, her proximity to the Union’s diplomatic machinery – and to von der Leyen’s administration – has created ripple effects far beyond the College of Europe, where she now serves as rector. According to Politico, EU officials and political groups opposed to von der Leyen are preparing to weaponize the scandal, portraying it as further evidence of deep-rooted failure in the Commission’s oversight mechanisms.

For critics long frustrated with von der Leyen’s leadership style, which they describe as centralized, opaque, and overly political, this scandal is the latest opportunity to challenge her legitimacy. Several lawmakers in the European Parliament have........

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