Ursula von der Leyen is distancing herself from the corruption allegations that have engulfed the EU diplomatic service, reports "Politico".
Her staff say it is not a problem for the European Commission president.
After Belgian authorities on Tuesday carried out surprise raids and detained former EU top diplomat Federica Mogherini and former European External Action Service Secretary-General Stefano Sannino, Commission officials dismissed it as a problem for the European External Action Service (EEAS), noting that while Sannino took up a senior position at the Commission earlier this year, the investigation dates back to his previous position.
"It is not the Commission that is distancing itself, but another institution is under investigation", an EU official stressed.
In favor of Von der Leyen, Sannino resigned yesterday, with the Commission announcing that he was leaving the leadership of the Middle East, North Africa and the Persian Gulf department. Three EC officials were adamant that the investigation launched on Tuesday - into allegations that the EEAS fraudulently awarded a tender to run an academy to train future EU diplomats to the College of Europe in Bruges - had nothing to do with von der Leyen, given that the diplomatic service is a separate institution from the Commission.
An EU official described the attacks on the EC president as unfair and unreasonable, coming at a delicate moment when von der Leyen is trying to secure support for Ukraine ahead of a crucial summit of EU leaders in December.
The events unfold against a backdrop of tensions between von der Leyen and current EEAS chief Kaia Kalas.
Kalas, who was not in office at the time of the alleged corruption, has also sought to distance herself from the investigation. Yesterday, the former Estonian prime minister tried to assure that she had worked to clean up the EEAS since her appointment as EU High Representative in December 2024.
In a letter to EEAS staff, the EU's top diplomat wrote that she found the allegations against Mogherini and Sannino "deeply shocking" but that they predated her tenure at the EEAS. In the months since, her team has launched internal reforms, including the creation of an "Anti-Fraud Strategy" and building stronger cooperation with the EU anti-fraud agency OLAF and the European Public Prosecutor's Office, she notes.
But the question is who knows what in relation to the allegations against Sannino.
According to four EEAS officials, broader questions have been raised about the way Sannino handled appointments to coveted diplomatic posts during his term, including allegations that he gave them to his favourites.
OLAF officials visited the secretary-general's offices before he left the EEAS, two people familiar with the matter said.
However, an EU official said the Commission was not aware of previous complaints against Sannino when he was hired to head a new department covering the Middle East and North Africa.
On Tuesday, the European Public Prosecutor's Office announced that it had asked authorities to lift the immunity - normally granted to diplomats and protecting them from legal action - to "several suspects" before the investigation and that this was granted. It was not specified to which authorities she made the requests.
The above-mentioned EU official said that the European Public Prosecutor's Office had made a request to lift Sannino's immunity to the EEAS in September and that the Commission had not been informed of this.
The allegations have not been proven and Mogherini, Sannino and the other person detained are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court.
Tuesday's events could heighten tensions between EU politicians and Belgian authorities. Two officials questioned the quality of the Belgian judicial system, noting that authorities held a showy press conference and detained suspects but then failed to move cases forward in the "Catargate" scandal. from 2022 and this year's bribery investigation into the lobbying activities of Chinese tech giant Huawei.