Politically Exposed Person (PEP) Weekly Digest – Volume 57

Introducing the 57th 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 June 28, 2024 and Aug 19, 2024. These elections hold significant importance, as they will determine the direction and governance of each respective country’s future.

One noteworthy event has occurred in Australia, her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, was officially sworn in as the 28th Governor-General of Australia at a Parliament House ceremony. With a long career in law and business, Ms Mostyn is the second female in Australian history to hold the position, following the Honourable Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO who served as Australia’s 25th Governor-General from 2008 to 2014. Accompanied by her husband Mr Simeon Beckett SC, Ms Mostyn was welcomed with a smoking ceremony led by Ngunnawal Elder Ms Serena Williams, followed by the General Salute from the Royal Military College in the parliament forecourt of Parliament House. In the Senate chamber, Ms Mostyn took the affirmation of allegiance and affirmation of office before the Chief Justice of Australia, the Honourable Stephen Gageler AC, swore in Ms Mostyn reading and signing the oaths of allegiance and office. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Ms Mostyn then signed the proclamation, followed by the Australian National Anthem and a Welcome to Country ceremony in the Members’ Hall.

Shifting our focus to Egypt, Veteran diplomat Badr Abdelatty has been appointed as Egypt’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs, succeeding Sameh Shoukry who held the position since 2014. Mr Abdelatty was sworn in on Wednesday at a ceremony at the country’s New Administrative Capital. Born in 1966, Mr Abdelatty has had an extensive career in the Egyptian Foreign Service spanning three decades. He has held several key positions, most recently serving as Egypt’s ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg, and the country’s representative to EU and Nato. Before this, he was ambassador to Germany from 2015 to 2019. He has also served as deputy assistant foreign minister and the ministry’s official spokesman, and was the director of the public diplomacy department between 2013 and 2015. From 2012 to 2013, Mr Abdelatty was the deputy assistant foreign minister for EU affairs and western Europe, and was the national co-ordinator for the Union for the Mediterranean. He was also the deputy head of mission at the Egyptian embassy in Brussels from 2008 to 2012.

In Netherlands, after more than seven months since the elections, which saw the far-right party gain significant ground, a new government has taken office in the Netherlands. The newly appointed Prime Minister, Dick Schoof, along with 15 other ministers, were sworn in by Dutch King Willem-Alexander on Tuesday. Dick Schoof, a former head of Dutch intelligence with no party affiliation and not on the ballot in the November election, is replacing Mark Rutte as prime minister.

In the realm of regulatory affairs, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental body tasked with developing policies to tackle Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism, continues to identify jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies in their regimes against these crimes. On June 28, 2024, FATF added Venezuela and Monaco to its “Increased monitoring” or “Grey List,” aiming to strengthen their mechanisms to combat Money Laundering, terrorist financing, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Shifting our attention to legal advancements, a prominent far-right German politician has been found guilty of knowingly using a banned Nazi slogan in a speech, media reports said Monday. A regional court in the eastern city of Halle sentenced Bjorn Hocke, who leads the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the state of Thuringia, to pay a total of €16,900 ($18,000), according to private broadcaster n-tv. The 52-year-old was also found guilty of using the license plates of unconstitutional and terrorist groups. Presiding Judge Jan Stengel said a prison sentence was not appropriate, but added that Hocke’s status as perpetrator cannot be questioned. The verdict can be appealed.