Georgian PM: Corruption remains major issue in European bureaucracy

A corruption scandal highlights that this is one of the main problems in modern European bureaucracy, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told journalists.

The premier stated that the investigation into the former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs is yet another proof of this, Caliber.Az reports via TASS.

Federica Mogherini, former Italian Foreign Minister and member of the Italian Parliament from 2008 to 2014, has been implicated in an EU-related investigation. She served as Italy’s Foreign Minister in 2014 and focused on foreign affairs, defence, and international cooperation during her parliamentary tenure.

From 2014 to 2019, Mogherini was the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Since September 2020, she has served as Rector of the College of Europe in Bruges, an elite institution closely connected with EU diplomacy. 

In 2022, she also became Director of the pilot program of the European Union Diplomatic Academy, which trains junior diplomats for the EU.

On December 2, 2025, Belgian police raided the headquarters of the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels, the College of Europe campus in Bruges, and several private residences as part of an investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) into suspected fraud linked to EU-funded training for junior diplomats.

Authorities suspect that during the 2021–2022 tender awarding of the EU Diplomatic Academy, there may have been procurement fraud, corruption, conflict of interest, and breaches of professional secrecy, including the possible sharing of confidential selection criteria with the College of Europe in advance.

Mogherini and two others detained during the raids were later released pending further investigation, as they are not considered flight risks.

By Jeyhun Aghazada