Politically Exposed Person (PEP) Weekly Digest – Volume 159

159th PEP Weekly Digest:

Introducing the 159th 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 Jun 07, 2026, and Aug 30, 2026. These elections hold significant importance, as they will determine the direction and governance of each respective country’s future.

Keir Starmer to Step Down as UK Prime Minister

One noteworthy event has occurred in the United Kingdom: Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that he will step down, acknowledging that Labour’s Parliamentary Party does not see him as the best candidate to lead them into the next general election. The party will set out a timetable for the transition, possibly through a contest, so that a new Premier is in place before September.

Former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who was sworn in as an MP, said he will put his name forward for the role of Prime Minister.

Speaking outside No. 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister said he had inherited a Labour Party that was “politically, financially, and morally bankrupt”. He spoke of leading the party in a landslide victory in 2024 and highlighted his record, citing growth in real wages, the fastest economic growth in the G7, reduced wait-times for medical appointments, a ban on social media for under-16s, trade deals and mending fences with the European Union.

Carmelo Abela Becomes Speaker of Malta’s Parliament

Shifting our focus to Malta, Carmelo Abela has been elected Speaker of the House of Representatives after the opening of the 15th Parliament, saying the role carries responsibility towards the House and its members, the Constitution and the people who give the institution its democratic authority.

Carmelo Abela was elected Speaker of the House after being nominated by Prime Minister Robert Abela and approved by both sides of Parliament.

Greece Culture Ministry Secretary General Giorgos Didaskalou Resigns Over Corruption Scandal

In Greece, Secretary General of Greece’s Ministry of Culture Giorgos Didaskalou submitted his resignation over the ongoing corruption scandal involving Urban Planning Offices across Attica.

According to reports, Didaskalou, who had held his position since 2019 was led to resign after media outlets reported that one of his associates is named in the case file and is among the defendants who have not been arrested.

This is the third resignation of a secretary general connected to the same case. It follows the earlier departures of Efthymios Bakoyannis, Secretary General for Spatial Planning at the Ministry of Environment and Energy and Manos Logothetis, Secretary General of Migration Policy.

ASB Bank Fined NZ$6.73 Million for AML/CFT Compliance Breaches

In the realm of regulatory affairs, ASB Bank Limited has been fined $3.84m (NZ$6.731m) for seven breaches of the anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) Act 2009.

The New Zealand-based bank’s transaction monitoring system and AML/CFT programme were inadequate for approximately six years, according to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Te Pūtea Matua (RBNZ).

The central bank welcomed the court’s decision to penalize ASB Bank.

“Non-compliance with transaction monitoring and reporting requirements denies New Zealand intelligence agencies crucial time-sensitive information that is needed to detect and deter money laundering and terrorism financing from impacting New Zealand communities,” said Angus McGregor, Acting Assistant Governor Financial Stability.

Spain’s Supreme Court Sentences Former Minister José Luis Ábalos to 24 Years for Corruption

Shifting our attention Spain, the Supreme Court has sentenced former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos, once a senior figure in Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist Party (PSOE), to 24 years in prison for his role in a corruption scheme linked to the award of face mask contracts during the COVID-19 pandemic. The court also sentenced his former aide Koldo García to 19 years in prison and businessman Víctor de Aldama to four and a half years.

The ruling, unanimously adopted by a seven-judge panel, found that the three men formed a criminal organisation with clearly defined roles aimed at obtaining financial benefits through corrupt practices. Ábalos and García were convicted of offences including participation in a criminal organisation, bribery, embezzlement of public funds and influence peddling.

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