Politically Exposed Person (PEP) Weekly Digest – Volume 119

119th PEP Weekly Digest:

Introducing the 119th edition of The PEP Weekly Digest, where we present to you the most recent updates and news on the global political stage.

Recent and upcoming elections influence the worldwide political landscape in eight nations, slated between Aug 27, 2025 and Sep 27, 2025. These elections hold significant importance, as they will determine the direction and governance of each respective country’s future.

Macron Appoints Sebastien Lecornu as New Prime Minister Amid Deepening Political Crisis

One noteworthy event has occurred in France, French President Emmanuel Macron has named his defence minister and close ally, Sebastien Lecornu, as the new prime minister after Prime Minister Francois Bayrou resigned after losing a confidence vote.

Lecornu, 39, the fifth prime minister in less than two years, has major challenges ahead, including resolving a deepening political crisis as protests loom in the coming days.

Macron’s decision to choose Lecornu, analysts say, is an indication that he intends to continue on with a minority government that supports his pro-business economic reform agenda. In the 577-member National Assembly, the left bloc, which has opposed Macron’s pro-business policy, has most seats but not enough to form a government.

NDA’s CP Radhakrishnan Elected Vice President of India with Strong Parliamentary Support

Shifting our focus to India, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominee CP Radhakrishnan has been elected as Vice President of India, defeating INDIA bloc candidate Justice B Sudershan Reddy in the election.

Radhakrishnan secured 452 first preference votes, while Justice Reddy received 300. Fifteen votes were declared invalid. The Rajya Sabha General Secretary, PC Mody, announced the results after the counting. The elections witnessed a turnout of 98.20 per cent, with 767 MPs casting their vote out of 781. Thirteen MPs abstained, including seven from the Biju Janata Dal, four from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, one from Shiromani Akali Dal and one independent MP.

The Vice President’s office had been vacant since July 21, following the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar due to health reasons.

Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan, born on October 20, 1957, in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, was serving as the Governor of Maharashtra since July 2024 before being named as the NDA’s Vice Presidential nominee. He earlier served as Governor of Jharkhand and held additional charge of Telangana and Puducherry.

Nepal’s Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak Resigns Amid Deadliest Violence in Two Decades

In Nepal, Nepal’s home minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned after the country witnessed its deadliest violence in two decades, which has claimed 19 lives so far. He tendered his resignation to the Prime Minister amid violence across Nepal in protests against corruption and the ban on social media platforms. Lekhak submitted his resignation to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli during the emergency cabinet meeting held at the official residence.

The resignation comes after the country witnessed the bloodiest day in two decades. Protesters in Kathmandu clashed with security forces and tried to enter Parliament in New Baneshwar, after which security forces responded with tear gas and water cannons. 19 people lost their lives in the protests.

ANZ Bank Fined Record $240 Million by ASIC for Widespread Misconduct

In the realm of regulatory affairs, Australia’s ANZ, one of the country’s “big four” banks, has agreed to pay a record fine of 240 million Australian dollars ($159.5 million) over “widespread misconduct.

The fine is the largest ever announced by the regulator against a single entity, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said.

ANZ was fined for “acting unconscionably” while managing a $14-billion bond deal with the Australian government.

It was also penalized for “failing to respond to hundreds of customer hardship notices”, making false or misleading statements about its savings interest rates and failing to refund fees charged to dead customers.

Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Military Coup

Shifting our attention to Brazil, the former president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison after being found guilty of plotting a military coup.

A panel of five Supreme Court justices handed down the sentence just hours after they had convicted the former leader.

They ruled he was guilty of leading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Four of the justices found him guilty while one voted to acquit him. Bolsonaro’s lawyers have called the sentence “absurdly excessive” and said that they would file “the appropriate appeals”.

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