João Cravinho, the former Portuguese foreign minister, is expected to become the new rector of the College of Europe, according to sources.
Cravinho, who was foreign minister between 2022 and 2024, is currently serving as the EU’s special representative for the Sahel region.
College is still rocked by a corruption scandal which saw its previous rector, Federica Mogherini, arrested on suspicion of fraud in a public contract linked to the European Diplomatic Academy, a school in Bruges set up by the EU.
Cravinho, 61, was reached for comment.
There has been a crowded field of candidates for the role, including Cecilia Malmström, a former European trade commissioner, and Frans Timmermans, a former executive vice-president of the Commission. Marc van der Woude, who presided over the lower General Court until he recently stepped down, was also interviewed for the job.
Cravinho visited the College and spoke to current students in February in his capacity as the EU’s envoy to the Sahel.
In December, former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini quit after Belgian police raided the offices of the EU’s diplomatic arm and College facilities in Bruges, northern Belgium. The EU prosecutor’s office, the EPPO, opened a case following the raids. The investigation is still not over.
Ewa Ośniecka-Tamecka, head of the Natolin campus in Poland, was appointed interim rector.
The college is a postgraduate finishing school for young Europeans hoping for a career within the EU institutions. Notable alumni include Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, Alexander Stubb, the Finnish president and former European Commissioner Margaritis Schinas.
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