Introducing the 48th 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 April 24, 2024 and June 01, 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 Canada, the federal government has appointed Michael Duheme as the new commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Duheme initially was appointed to the role on an interim basis following the retirement of his predecessor, Brenda Lucki, last year. “I am confident that [Duheme’s] continued leadership will bring about positive change and help uphold the highest standards of professionalism within the RCMP,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a press release. Prior to Lucki’s retirement, Duheme served as the Mounties’ deputy commissioner of federal policing. Originally from Chambly, Que., Duheme started his career as a general duty investigator in Nova Scotia and has served stints as an officer with the RCMP’s Emergency Response Team and the Kosovo peacekeeping mission, as a VIP personal protection officer, as the first director of the Parliamentary Protective Service and as commanding officer of National Division in Ottawa. Duheme has spent time in the public spotlight, including earlier this month at the federal commission of inquiry into foreign interference. He also accompanied Lucki to the Emergencies Act inquiry in the fall of 2022.

Shifting our focus to Estonia, Piret Hartman took the oath of office as the new minister of regional affairs before the Riigikogu on Monday afternoon, thus joining the 53th composition of the government of Estonia. “I wish Piret Hartman a lot of strength in the ministerial position,” Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said. “We have to deal with all the challenges in a very difficult financial situation, where the state purse is even thinner than we predicted. In many areas, this means large-scale reforms. The Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture is one of those that have to deal with the management of very large changes. The reduction of regional inequality or, in other words, the review of the revenue base of local governments, better connectivity or, in other words, mobility reform, the implementation of the just transition plan of East-Viru County. I believe that her experience as minister and from the public sector will help her settle in quickly in difficult times and successfully cope with the challenges of the field,” she added. Hartman is a member of the Social Democratic Party (SDE). She served as culture minister in the previous composition of the government. Prior to that, she worked as deputy secretary general of the Ministry of Culture. Hartman has also worked as general and campaign manager of SDE. Prior to taking up this ministerial position, she worked as head of the strategy unit of the Ministry of Finance. She graduated from the Estonian University of Life Sciences in 2003 with a degree in agricultural economics and entrepreneurship and a master’s degree in economics and entrepreneurship in 2006. In 2022, she graduated from the Tallinn University of Technology with a degree in digital transformation in business. Hartman took over the position of minister of regional affairs from Madis Kallas, who stepped down of his own volition and whose term of office ended on April 16.

In Pakistan, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister of the country sparking severe criticism from the opposition. According to the notification released by the Prime Minister’s office, the appointment was made by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “with immediate effect and until further orders” and came at a time when PM Shehbaz and Dar along with other top leaders of the ruling regime are in Saudi Arabia to attend the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) special meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy. However, the appointment garnered severe criticism from opposition parties, especially Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). On Monday, the party which was founded by former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the “Sharifs are distributing key national posts within the family”.

In the realm of regulatory affairs, Canada’s anti-money laundering agency said on Thursday it had imposed its biggest-ever penalty of nearly C$9.2 million ($6.71 million) on TD Bank over non-compliance of anti-money laundering (AML) regulations. The bank has been grappling with regulatory probes over its AML compliance program both at home and in the United States, which have been a drag on the stock’s performance. The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) said the administrative monetary penalty on TD Bank was imposed on April 9 following a compliance examination in 2023.

Shifting our attention to legal advancements, an Italian court sentenced Former Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini to two years and eight months in jail after he was convicted for his role in the sale of a Monte Carlo apartment by his political party. Elisabetta Tulliani, Fini’s partner, was handed a five-year sentence by the court in Rome, while her brother Giancarlo Tulliani got six years and their father Sergio Tulliani five years. Fini was in court to hear the verdict. The prosecution had accused Fini, former leader of the right-wing National Alliance (AN), and the other defendants of money laundering. In comments after the verdict, Fini said he had been cleared of the main charge but was still convicted for authorising the deal, which he denies doing. “After so much talk, so many arguments and accusations, so much political condemnation, what am I being found responsible for?,” Fini, 72, told reporters. “For having authorised the sale. It’s not really clear to me what the crime is in that.” Fini, who was a key player in Italian politics in the 1990s and 2000s, and all the defendants are expected to appeal the ruling and will not serve jail time until appeals proceedings are exhausted.