New revelations from the Jeffrey Epstein files have deeply shaken Europe’s political and social elite, bringing down senior figures and opening criminal and political investigations in several countries. While the repercussions in Europe have been immediate and severe, the reaction in the United States has been considerably more subdued. The documents reveal a vast web of relationships between Epstein and the most powerful people in European politics, diplomacy and monarchies.
A prince, an ambassador, senior diplomats and powerful politicians. All brought down by the Jeffrey Epstein files. And almost all in Europe, not the United States. The vast trove of documents about Epstein, released by the US Department of Justice, has sent shockwaves through Europe’s political, economic and social elite – dominating headlines, destroying careers and sparking political and criminal investigations.
Former British ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, was fired and could face jail time. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing a leadership crisis over Mandelson’s appointment. Senior figures have also fallen in Norway, Sweden and Slovakia. Meanwhile, even before the latest documents were released, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, brother of King Charles III, lost his titles, honors and taxpayer-funded residence. Apart from former Prince Andrew, none of them face sexual abuse charges. They were ousted for their friendship with Epstein even after he was convicted of sexual abuse.
“Epstein was collecting powerful people, like someone who collects bonus points from travel, the more, the better for him,” said Mark Stephens, a specialist in international law and human rights in London. “But now the ‘travel receipts’ are public, and some wish they had traveled less.”
The documents were released after the Epstein case became a crisis for President Donald Trump’s administration and led to a rare bipartisan effort to force the government to open its investigative files. However, in the US, the release has not yet brought the same strong public reaction to Epstein’s associates. Rob Ford, a professor of political science at the University of Manchester, said that in Britain, “if your name appears in those files, it’s a big story immediately.” “It makes me think we have a more functional media and a stronger accountability structure. There is still a sense of shame in politics, where people say: ‘This is not acceptable, this is not done,'” he said.
CONSEQUENCES IN BRITAIN
British figures brought down over links to Epstein include former Prince Andrew, who paid millions to settle a lawsuit from one of Epstein’s victims and is facing pressure to testify in the US – as well as his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, whose charity centre was closed last week.
Like others, veteran politician Mandelson for years played down his relationship with Epstein, despite calling him “my annoying friend” in 2003. New documents show that the contacts continued for years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for sex crimes against a minor. In a July 2009 message, Mandelson appeared to describe Epstein’s release from prison as “liberation day.” Starmer sacked Mandelson in September after earlier revelations about his ties to Epstein. British police are now investigating whether Mandelson committed misconduct in public office by passing sensitive government information to Epstein. Starmer has apologised to Epstein’s victims and pledged to release documents showing that Mandelson lied during the vetting process for the ambassadorship. However, this may not be enough to stop angry MPs who are trying to remove the prime minister from office for lack of judgment.
AMERICAN COLLABORATORS
Experts warn that Britain should not be complacent about its swift response to the Mandelson affair. The US has a better record of declassifying and releasing documents. However, Alex Thomas of the Institute for Governance says that “there is something about parliamentary democracy”, where the prime minister must maintain the confidence of parliament to remain in power, “that helps to foster accountability”.
Several prominent Americans have faced consequences for their ties to Epstein. Most notably, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers was suspended from his academic positions at Harvard University last year. Brad Karp resigned last week as chairman of the prominent law firm Paul Weiss, following revelations in recent documents. The National Football League (NFL) announced it would investigate Epstein’s relationship with New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch, who had exchanged inappropriate emails with Epstein about potential encounters with adult women.
However, many other American associates of Epstein have not yet faced serious punishment, including former Trump strategist Steve Bannon, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and tech billionaire Elon Musk. The latter has admitted to discussing visiting Epstein’s private island but says he never went there. Former President Bill Clinton has been forced by Republicans to testify before Congress about his friendship with Epstein. Trump has also faced repeated questions about his ties to him. Neither Trump nor Clinton have ever been accused of wrongdoing by Epstein’s victims.
EUROPEAN INVESTIGATIONS
The Epstein files reveal the global network of royals, political leaders, billionaires, bankers and academics that the wealthy financier had built around himself. Across Europe, senior officials have been forced to resign or face disciplinary action as Epstein’s documents revealed relationships that turned out to be much deeper than previously known.
Joanna Rubinstein, a Swedish UN official, resigned after it was revealed that she had visited Epstein’s Caribbean island in 2012. Miroslav Lajčák, national security adviser to the prime minister of Slovakia, was removed from his post over his communications with Epstein, in which the two discussed “gorgeous” girls. Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have launched wide-ranging official investigations into the documents. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said a special team would review the files to identify potential Polish victims, as well as any links between Epstein and Russian intelligence. Epstein took a particular interest in European politics. In an email exchange with billionaire Peter Thiel, he called Britain’s 2016 vote to leave the European Union “just the beginning” and part of a return to “tribalism.”
Gregoire Roos, director of the Europe program at the Chatham House think tank, said the documents reveal Epstein’s “very extensive” network of contacts in Europe, as well as the level of access he had not only to people already in power but also to those on the path to it. “It will be interesting to see whether, through this correspondence, he had an influence on policymaking,” Roos said.
DISCOVERIES IN NORWAY
Few countries have been as shaken by the Epstein revelations as Norway, a Scandinavian country of less than 6 million people. The Norwegian Economic Crimes Unit has opened a corruption investigation into former Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland – who previously headed the Nobel Peace Prize committee – over his ties to Epstein. Jagland’s lawyer has said he will cooperate with the investigation. Also involved are prominent Norwegian diplomats Terje Rod-Larsen and Mona Juul, key figures in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts in the 1990s.
Juul has been suspended from her post as Norway’s ambassador to Jordan after revelations that Epstein left the couple’s children $10 million in a will written shortly before he committed suicide in a New York prison in 2019. Norwegians’ respect for the royal family has also been shaken by new details about Epstein’s friendship with Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who is married to heir to the throne, Prince Haakon. The files include joking text messages and emails planning visits to Epstein’s properties, teeth-whitening appointments and shopping trips. The princess apologized, saying: “I apologize to everyone I have disappointed.” (Associated Press)