The ‘Epstein effect’: Why a global scandal is toppling European cabinets while the US remains unmoved

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer talks with Britain’s ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson, during a welcome reception at the ambassador’s residence on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Washington. (Carl Court/Pool Photo via AP, file)

Even before the latest disclosures, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of King Charles III, had lost his military honours, princely title and taxpayer-funded residence.

Apart from Andrew, none of the European figures faces allegations of sexual wrongdoing. Instead, they have been toppled for maintaining friendly relationships with Epstein long after he became a convicted sex offender.

“Epstein collected powerful people the way others collect frequent flyer points,” said Mark Stephens, a specialist in international and human rights law at Howard Kennedy in London. “But the receipts are now in public, and some might wish they’d traveled less.”

Images from an undated and redacted document released by the US Department of Justice, photographed on January 31, 2026, show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, leaning over an unidentified person. (Photo: AP)

Why Europe, not America, is seeing the fallout

The documents were released after public pressure over Epstein escalated into a political crisis for President Donald Trump’s administration, forcing a rare bipartisan push to open federal investigative files, news agency the Associated Press reported.

Yet in the United States, the long-awaited disclosures have not, at least so far, produced the same scale of political consequences. Rob Ford, professor of political science at the University of Manchester, said the contrast was stark.

“If you’re in those files, it’s immediately a big story,” AP quoted Ford as saying.

“It suggests to me we have a more functional media, we have a more functional accountability structure, that there is still a degree of shame in politics.”

Alex Thomas, executive director of the Institute for Government think tank, added that parliamentary systems amplify accountability. “There is something about parliamentary democracy,” he said, “with its need for a prime minister to retain the confidence of Parliament to stay in office, that I think does help drive accountability.”

In Britain, the Epstein files have detonated at the highest levels of power.

Veteran Labour figure Peter Mandelson, once one of the most influential politicians of his generation, had long downplayed his relationship with Epstein, despite calling him “my best pal” in 2003.

The newly released documents show that contact continued for years after Epstein’s 2008 prison sentence for sexual offences involving a minor. In a July 2009 message, Mandelson appeared to refer to Epstein’s release as “liberation day”.

Starmer fired Mandelson in September after earlier revelations, but the fallout has since deepened. British police have now launched a criminal investigation into whether Mandelson committed misconduct in public office by passing sensitive government information to Epstein.

“Either give it back or give it to charity.”

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden tells @TrevorPTweets Peter Mandelson shouldn’t accept a payoff after his removal as US ambassador.https://t.co/jA6vVHJB9S

📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/t3n2zjzy8v

— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 8, 2026

Starmer has apologised to Epstein’s victims and pledged to release public documents that he says will show Mandelson lied during vetting for the ambassadorial post. The prime minister is now facing open rebellion from within his party over what critics describe as a catastrophic failure of judgment.

The British royal family has also been hit again. Prince Andrew, who previously paid millions to settle a civil lawsuit with one of Epstein’s victims, faces renewed pressure to testify in the US. His former wife Sarah Ferguson saw her charity shut down this week following scrutiny over her continued association with Epstein as late as 2011.

Norway shaken: Corruption probe, royal apology

Few countries have been as destabilised by the Epstein files as Norway, a nation of fewer than six million people.

Norway’s economic crimes unit has opened a corruption investigation into former prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland, who also once headed the Nobel Peace Prize committee. His lawyer has said Jagland will cooperate with investigators.

Epstein’s files reveal more and more interesting facts. For example, one of Russia’s main assets in Europe was Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe from October 1, 2009, to September 18, 2019, and Prime Minister of Norway in 1996–1997.

For years, he… pic.twitter.com/zdlXq0Z5VC

— Denys Shtilierman (@DenShtilierman) January 31, 2026

Also ensnared is a high-profile diplomatic couple, Mona Juul and Terje Rød-Larsen, key figures in the Oslo Accords. Juul has been suspended as Norway’s ambassador to Jordan after it emerged that Epstein left the couple’s children $10 million in a will drawn up shortly before his death in a New York prison in 2019.

Public confidence in Norway’s monarchy has also been shaken. The files detail friendly and jokey exchanges between Epstein and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, including emails planning visits, dental appointments and shopping trips.

Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit was mentioned at least 1,000 times in the last batch of Epstein files.

The princess issued a public apology on Friday, saying she was sorry “to all of you whom I have disappointed”.

The disclosures have come as her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, stands trial in Oslo on rape charges, which he denies.
Slovakia, Sweden and a widening European probe

Slovakia, Sweden and a widening European probe

In Slovakia, former foreign minister Miroslav Lajčák resigned from his role as national security adviser after documents revealed extensive communications with Epstein, including messages discussing “gorgeous” girls and meetings with political leaders.

“Miroslav Lajčák was so far an absolutely prominent person in Slovak and international political life and diplomacy. He was one of the most known Slovak representatives in the international agenda,” said Grigorij Mesežnikov [@GMeseznikov], President of the Slovakian Institute for… pic.twitter.com/RkjUXDvHpS

— TVP World (@TVPWorld_com) February 2, 2026

In Sweden, UN official Joanna Rubinstein quit after disclosures of a 2012 visit to Epstein’s Caribbean island.

Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have launched wide-ranging official investigations into the documents. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said his government would scour the files for potential Polish victims and any links between Epstein and Russian intelligence services.

Russia, kompromat and a global network

The files reveal a global network of royals, billionaires, bankers, academics and political leaders cultivated by Epstein. In one exchange, Epstein described Britain’s 2016 Brexit vote as “just the beginning” of a return to “tribalism”.

Poland has framed its probe as a national security issue, citing concerns that Epstein’s operation may have been used to gather kompromat, compromising material, for foreign intelligence services. The documents reportedly include thousands of references to Russia and mentions of President Vladimir Putin.

Grégoire Roos, director of the Europe programme at Chatham House, said the files expose the scale of Epstein’s reach.

“The level of access among not just those who were already in power, but those who were getting there,” he said.

“It will be interesting to see whether in the correspondence, he had an influence on policymaking.”

A handful of high-profile Americans have faced consequences. Former US treasury secretary Larry Summers took leave from academic roles. Brad Karp resigned as chair of the law firm Paul Weiss. The NFL is investigating ties between Epstein and New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch.

Former President Bill Clinton has been compelled to testify before Congress, while Trump continues to face questions about his past association with Epstein.

This undated photo released by the US Department of Justice shows former President Bill Clinton and Jeffrey Epstein. (US Department of Justice Department via AP)

Neither Clinton nor Trump has been accused of wrongdoing by Epstein’s victims.

(With inputs from AP)