Federica Mogherini facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Federica Mogherini
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Mogherini in 2024.
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| Rector of the College of Europe | |
| Assumed office 1 September 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Jörg Monar |
| High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy | |
| In office 1 November 2014 – 30 November 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Catherine Ashton |
| Succeeded by | Josep Borrell |
| Vice-President of the European Commission | |
| In office 1 November 2014 – 30 November 2019 |
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| President | Jean-Claude Juncker |
| Succeeded by | Josep Borrell |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 22 February 2014 – 31 October 2014 |
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| Prime Minister | Matteo Renzi |
| Preceded by | Emma Bonino |
| Succeeded by | Paolo Gentiloni |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 13 May 2008 – 30 October 2014 |
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| Constituency | Lazio 1 |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Federica Maria Mogherini
16 June 1973 Rome, Italy |
| Political party | PD (since 2007) DS (1998–2007) PDS (1991–1998) PCI (1988–1991) |
| Other political affiliations |
PES (since 2014) S&D (since 2014) |
| Spouse |
Matteo Rebesani
(m. 2007; div. 2017) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent |
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| Education | Sapienza University of Rome |
| Signature |  |
Federica Mogherini (born 16 June 1973) is an Italian politician. She held important roles in the European Union (EU) and in Italy. From 2014 to 2019, she was the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. This means she was the EU's top diplomat, leading its foreign policy. She was also a Vice-President of the European Commission.
Before her EU roles, Mogherini was Italy's Minister for Foreign Affairs from February to October 2014. She was also a member of the Italian Parliament from 2008 to 2014. Since 2020, she has been the rector of the College of Europe. This is a special university for students who want to learn more about European studies.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Federica Mogherini was born in Rome, Italy, on 16 June 1973. Her father, Flavio Mogherini, was a film director.
She went to the Sapienza University of Rome. There, she studied political science. She focused on how politics and ideas connect. For her final project, she wrote about Islam and politics. She did some of this work while studying in France through the Erasmus programme. This program allows university students to study in another European country.
Political Career
Early Steps in Politics
Mogherini started her political journey early. In 1988, she joined a youth group linked to the Italian Communist Party. As the party changed over the years, she joined new groups like the Youth Left and later the Democrats of the Left.
By 2003, she began working in the Foreign Affairs section of her party. She helped manage relationships with international groups and parties. She also worked on policies related to places like Afghanistan and Iraq, and the Middle East peace process. When the Democratic Party was formed in 2007, she became part of its leadership team.
Serving in Parliament
In 2008, Mogherini was elected to the Chamber of Deputies, which is like Italy's House of Representatives. She represented the area of Veneto. During her time in Parliament, she worked on the Defence Committee. She also joined Italian groups that worked with the Council of Europe and the Western European Union.
She was re-elected to Parliament in 2013. She continued to serve on the Defence Committee and the Committee on Foreign Affairs. She also became the head of the Italian group for the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. This group works with other countries in NATO on defense and security issues.
In 2013, the new leader of her party, Matteo Renzi, asked her to join his team. She was in charge of European relations. Around this time, Mogherini supported the idea of having a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly. This would be a way to make the United Nations more democratic and accountable.
Italy's Foreign Minister
In February 2014, Federica Mogherini became Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs. She was only the third woman to hold this important job. One of her first tasks was to meet with the families of two Italian marines held in India.
Under her leadership, the Foreign Ministry worked to help Mariam Ibrahim. She was a Sudanese woman who was finally allowed to travel to Italy on an Italian government plane. In July 2014, Mogherini also supported Israel's right to defend itself during a conflict. She said that rocket attacks on civilians must stop.
European Union High Representative
In July 2014, Mogherini was considered for a big job in the European Union. This was the role of High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Some countries were worried that she was too soft on Russia. However, on 30 August 2014, she was officially appointed to the role. She started her new job on 1 November 2014.
In this role, Mogherini led the EU's foreign policy. She worked with a group of commissioners who dealt with things like trade, development, and humanitarian aid.
One of her first goals was to help start talks between Russia and Ukraine to end their conflict. In 2015, she played a key part in reaching the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). This was an international agreement about Iran's nuclear program. She announced the deal to the world alongside Iran's Foreign Minister.
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EU Global Strategy
In 2016, the European Union adopted a new plan called the European Union Global Strategy. Federica Mogherini helped create this plan. It replaced an older strategy from 2003 and guided the EU's approach to global challenges.
Visits and Talks
In April 2017, Mogherini visited India as an EU representative. She discussed important topics like climate change and fighting terrorism. In October 2017, she also worked to convince the Trump administration in the United States to continue supporting the Iran nuclear deal.
Later Career
After her time as High Representative ended in 2019, Mogherini took on new roles. The United Nations Secretary-General appointed her to co-chair a group on internal displacement. This group helps people who have been forced to leave their homes within their own country.
In 2020, she became the rector of the College of Europe. This is a leadership role at the university. She officially started this position on 1 September 2020.
Political Views
Relations with North Africa
In 2017, Mogherini made a statement about trade agreements between Morocco and the European Union. She said these agreements would not be affected by a court ruling. The ruling said that trade deals only covered products from within Morocco's internationally recognized borders, not from Western Sahara.
Relations with Iran
Mogherini supported trade with Iran. She encouraged European businesses, especially smaller ones, to increase their trade with Iran. She saw this as important for Europe's security.
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Relations with the Middle East
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Mogherini wanted the European Union to help restart peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. She visited the region soon after starting her EU job. She also worked to bring together the Middle East Quartet (the United Nations, the United States, and Russia) with key Arab countries to help the peace process.
She was against the military action led by Saudi Arabia in Yemen. She believed that military action was not the solution. Mogherini also disagreed with the United States' decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel under President Donald Trump. In 2018, she criticized Turkey's actions in northern Syria, saying that efforts should be to reduce military activities, not increase them.
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Relations with Russia
In 2015, Mogherini suggested that the EU might try to improve relations with Russia. This included possibly easing some sanctions that were put in place after the Russo-Ukrainian War. However, some countries like the United Kingdom and Poland strongly disagreed with this idea.
In 2017, Mogherini stated that sanctions against Russia would stay in place until the Minsk agreements were fully followed. She visited Russia in April 2017 and met with Sergei Lavrov. She said she supported policies that aimed for "cooperation rather than confrontation."
Relations with China
In September 2018, Mogherini spoke about the Xinjiang internment camps in China. She raised concerns about human rights issues against the Uyghur people in the European Parliament.
Relations with the United States
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Mogherini admired the United States. She pushed for an energy section in trade talks between the EU and the US. After Donald Trump became US president, Mogherini criticized him for getting involved in European politics. She said that Europeans expect America not to interfere in their politics.
In June 2018, Mogherini praised the meeting between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. She called it an important step for removing nuclear weapons from the Korean peninsula. She said the EU was ready to help with future talks.
Relations with Central Asia
Mogherini supported a stronger partnership between the European Union and Central Asian countries. In July 2019, she presented a new EU strategy for Central Asia. For her work, she received Kazakhstan's Order Dostyk of the First Degree.
Islam in Europe
Mogherini has stated that Islam is a part of Europe's history and future. In a speech in 2015, she said that Islam "holds a place in our Western societies." She also said that "political Islam should be part of the picture," meaning that religion can play a role in politics, as long as the process is democratic.
Other Activities
Federica Mogherini is involved in several other important groups and organizations:
- Africa Europe Foundation (AEF), helping with Africa-Europe relations.
- Friends of Europe, a think tank that discusses European issues.
- International Crisis Group (ICG), working to prevent and resolve deadly conflicts.
- Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), an Italian foreign policy think tank.
- Generation Unlimited, a global partnership focused on youth.
- German Marshall Fund, a non-profit that promotes understanding between North America and Europe.
- European Leadership Network (ELN), working on European foreign, defense, and security policy.
- Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, working towards a world free of nuclear tests.
- Munich Security Conference, a forum for international security policy.
Recognition
Mogherini has received several awards and honors for her work:
- Hessian Peace Prize, 2017.
- Kaiser Otto Prize, 2017.
- Honorary doctorate from the University of Tampere, 2018.
Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd Class, Gold and Silver Star, from Japan, 2023.
See also
In Spanish: Federica Mogherini para niños
- List of current foreign ministers
