Federica Mogherini (; born 16 June 1973) is an Italian politician who served as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission from 2014 to 2019. She is a member of the Democratic Party (PD), which is part of the Party of European Socialists. She previously served as Italy's Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation from February to October 2014 in the Renzi government. She was a member of the Chamber of Deputies (MP) from 2008 to 2014. In 2020, she was appointed rector of the College of Europe, a post-graduate university for European studies in Bruges (Belgium), Natolin (Poland), and Tirana (Albania). In December 2025, following her arrest and subsequent release by the EPPO, she resigned from this position.
Early life and education Mogherini was born on 16 June 1973 in Rome to the family of the film director and set designer Flavio Mogherini (1922–1994). Mogherini attended the Sapienza University of Rome where she studied political science graduating with a specialization in political philosophy with a final dissertation on Islam and politics, which she wrote while she was on the Erasmus programme at Sciences Po Aix in Aix-en-Provence, France.
Political career
Early beginnings From 1988, Mogherini was a member of the Italian Communist Youth Federation (FGCI). In 1996, she joined the Youth Left after the dissolution of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) and its transformation into the Democratic Party of the Left (PDS). In 2001, she became a member of the National Council of the Democrats of the Left (DS), later serving on its National Executive Board and Political Committee.
In 2003, Mogherini started working at the DS's Foreign Affairs Section, where she was given responsibility for relations with international movements and parties, later becoming the team's coordinator; after that she was given responsibility for Foreign Affairs and International Relations on the staff of DS Party chairman Piero Fassino. In this role, she oversaw the policies on Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the Middle East peace process. Mogherini was in charge of maintaining relations with the Party of European Socialists (PES), the Socialist International (SI), and other left-wing parties. After the formation of the Italian Democratic Party (PD) in 2007, Mogherini was appointed to its executive committee by its founding chairman Walter Veltroni.
Member of Parliament, 2008–2014 In 2008, Mogherini was elected to Italy's Chamber of Deputies, representing the constituency of Veneto. Serving in the 16th legislature, she became secretary of its Defence Committee, a member of the Italian parliamentary delegation to the Council of Europe, and of Italy's parliamentary delegation to the Western European Union. On 24 February 2009, she was appointed to the staff of the incoming PD leader Dario Franceschini, with responsibility for equal opportunity. After that, she was notable as a member of Franceschini's faction (Area Democratica). She also served as vice-president of the Italy-USA Foundation.
In February 2013, Mogherini was returned to parliament for the Emilia-Romagna constituency. During the 17th Italian legislature, she served again on the Defence Committee (replacing Lapo Pistelli after he was appointed Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs), the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Italian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of NATO, and later its president from April 2013. On 1 August 2013, she was elected as head of the Italian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly for NATO.
On 9 December 2013, Matteo Renzi, the new PD leader, appointed Mogherini to his staff, with the responsibility of European relations. Around this time, Mogherini voiced her support for the Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, an organization that campaigns for democratic reformation of the United Nations, and the creation of a more accountable international political system. Mogherini was also a Fellow of the German Marshall Fund of the United States in 2007.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, 2014 Mogherini joined the Renzi Cabinet as Minister of Foreign Affairs, the third woman after Susanna Agnelli and Emma Bonino to hold this post. Her first public engagement following her appointment was to meet, along with Italy's Defence Minister, the wives of Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, the two Italian marines detained in India after the Enrica Lexie incident. Under her direction, the Foreign Ministry worked for the release of Mariam Ibrahim. Italy's good relations with Sudan helped in securing the release of this Sudanese woman who was finally permitted to fly to Italy on an Italian government plane.
In July 2014, Mogherini expressed support for Israel's right to defend itself during the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict. She stated: "The repeated rocket strikes on Israel warrant the firmest possible condemnation; all attacks on civilian areas must stop immediately."
European Union High Representative, 2014–2019
In July 2014, given the large number of Italian MEPs belonging to the S&D Group following the 2014 European Parliament election, the European Council considered her as a candidate for the position of High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in Jean-Claude Juncker's new European Commission. On 13 July 2014, the Financial Times among other European newspapers reported that her nomination proposal had been opposed by the Baltic states and several Central-European countries, including Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland, where her stance towards Russia concerning the Russo-Ukrainian war was considered to be too soft. Sweden, Ireland, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom also raised concerns, claiming the position should be filled by someone from the center-right and by a candidate from outside Germany, France, and Italy. On 1 August 2014, Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi formally nominated her by letter to Juncker, the European Commission president-elect, as Italy's official candidate for Commissioner.
On 30 August 2014, Europe's socialist prime ministers met prior to the convening of the European Council, at which she received the approval of the Party of European Socialists (PES). On the same day, the president Herman Van Rompuy announced that the European Council had decided to appoint Mogherini as its new High Representative, effective from 1 November 2014. The group of commissioners involved in external relations—neighborhood and EU enlargement, trade, development, emergency and humanitarian aid, migration, energy, and transport—meets monthly, with Mogherini in the chair.Tim King (30 October 2015), The EU grows up (on foreign policy) Politico Europe.
At her first press conference, Mogherini declared her efforts would be devoted to establishing discussions between Russia and Ukraine to solve the war between the two countries. In 2015, Mogherini won praise for her role in negotiating the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an international agreement on the nuclear program of Iran, and along with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was the one to announce the accord to the world.Maïa de La Baume (17 July 2015), The women behind the Iran nuclear deal Politico Europe. In 2016, she appointed chief negotiator Helga Schmid as Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS), following the resignation of Alain Le Roy.Federica Mogherini appoints Helga Schmid as Secretary General of the European External Action Service European External Action Service (EEAS), press release of 15 June 2016.Maïa de La Baume and Jacopo Barigazzi (24 June 2016), Mogherini shakes up staff, mission Politico Europe. Since 2015, Mogherini also began serving as a member of the European Commission’s High-level Group of Personalities on Defence Research chaired by Elżbieta Bieńkowska.Simon Taylor (30 March 2015), High-level group of personalities on defence research European Voice.
2016 Global Strategy In 2016, the European Union adopted the European Union Global Strategy, drawn up by Mogherini, thereby replacing the 2003 European Security Strategy.
2017 visit to India In April 2017, Mogherini paid her first visit to India in an official capacity as European Union representative, discussing issues including climate change and anti-terrorism.
2017 JCPOA talks In October 2017, Mogherini announced plans to argue the European Union case for the United States to remain supportive of the JCPOA, the Iran nuclear deal, by holding talks with the Trump administration in Washington following Donald Trump's denial of recertification.
Later career In 2019, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Mogherini as co-chair of the High Level-Panel on Internal Displacement, alongside Donald Kaberuka.High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement United Nations, press release of 3 December 2019. In April 2020, she gave notice of her intention to apply for the position of rector of the College of Europe. The French newspaper Libération criticized this decision because Mogherini did not have the academic qualifications needed for the job. According to the newspaper, there was a conflict of interests in this matter, as the College of Europe is funded at 50% by the European Commission. Mogherini became rector on 1 September 2020.
European External Action Service controversy
Mogherini was temporarily detained for questioning by Belgian police as part of an anti-fraud investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor's Office on 2 December 2025. The probe is centered on suspected procurement fraud, corruption, and conflict of interest related to an EU-funded project—the European Diplomatic Academy training program—which was awarded to the College of Europe between 2021 and 2022, where Mogherini serves as the Rector. The following day, the EPPO stated that Mogherini, as well as two other suspects, were formally notified of the accusations against them, namely procurement fraud and corruption, conflict of interest and violation of professional secrecy. On 4 December, Mogherini announced her resignation as rector of the College of Europe and director of the diplomatic training program. Her resignation took effect on 12 December.
Political positions
Relations with North African countries
In 2017, Mogherini stirred controversy over her statement that the trade agreements between Morocco and the European Union (EU) would not be affected by the 2016 ruling by the European Court of Justice on the scope of trade with Morocco. This ruling confirmed that bilateral trade deals, such as the EU–Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement, cover only agricultural produce and fishing products originating within the internationally recognized borders of Morocco, thus explicitly excluding any product sourced from Western Sahara or its territorial waters. In regards to the political status of Western Sahara, the international community, including the European Union, unanimously rejects Morocco's territorial claim to Western Sahara.
Relations with Iran
Speaking at a briefing with New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters on the first ever European Union high-representative official visit, Mogherini challenged U.S. sanctions on Iran, stating that the European Union is encouraging small and medium size enterprises in particular to increase business with and in Iran as part of something that is for the European Union a "Security Priority".
Relations with the Middle East