Bruna Szego Named Chair of EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority

Strasbourg (Eurotoday) – Bruna Szego, selected as chair of the EU’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority, won despite lacking backing from major groups.

What makes Bruna Szego a strong fit for AMLA leadership?When will the EU’s new AMLA rules take effect?

Bruna Szego from Italy was picked as the chair of the EU’s new dirty money watchdog following a three-hour hearing before the European Parliament’s economy and justice committees and an ensuing discussion on the pick.

Bruna Szego secured a majority to dominate rival candidates Marcus Pleyer of Germany and Jan Reinder De Carpentier of the Netherlands, despite lacking the backing of the centre-right European People’s Party, the biggest group in the Parliament, or of the Greens.

What makes Bruna Szego a strong fit for AMLA leadership?

Concerning Szego’s background, she founded and leads the anti-money laundering (AML) supervision and regulation unit at the Bank of Italy, having previously led its regulation and macroprudential analysis directorate. She poses on the EBA’s anti-money laundering standing committee; one of her muscles is linking macroprudential and AML threats.

When will the EU’s new AMLA rules take effect?

European Union’s new single Anti Money Laundering Authority (AMLA), and the governance system it raises, are designed to grant it adequate independence from national regulators to allow it to interfere when country watchdogs fail. It comes after Europe underwent a series of dirty money scandals. The new Frankfurt-based structure will hire some 450 staffers and will begin direct charge of high-risk financial entities as of January 2028, with the EU’s new anti-money laundering rules beginning to take effect six months earlier.

The selection of Szego by lawmakers is the crucial stage in the AMLA chair selection process. 

Olivier Salles, the EU authorised handling practices “to deliver the initial [AMLA] start-up” stated last week he hoped the body’s chair could “be appointed in January” to take up their responsibilities as quickly as possible, and that a decision on the AMLA executive board could be taken in February. 


Comments

3 responses to “Bruna Szego Named Chair of EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority”

  1. Aren’t we all just thrilled to have someone leading the charge against dirty money who, quite frankly, was the last one picked for kickball? 🎉 I mean, lack of support from the big guns really screams confidence, doesn’t it? 😂

  2. Oh, fantastic! Just what we need—someone leading the charge against money laundering who has all the support of a wet paper towel. 👏 Can’t wait to see how this thrilling soap opera unfolds! 🍿

  3. Twix Esses Avatar

    Oh, splendid! Just what we needed—another Italian leading the charge against dirty money! I suppose next, we’ll have a French chef heading the EU’s diet initiative. 🍝💸

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Last News

Un think tank pro-Orbán suspendu du registre de transparence européen

Un think tank pro-Orbán suspendu du registre de transparence européen

Donald Trump déclare qu’il imposera un embargo strict au Kremlin si Bruxelles durcit sa position envers Pékin, mais les diplomates de l’UE soupçonnent le président américain de tenter de gagner du temps.

Read More

Why Plutonium Is Not the Quick Solution to America’s Nuclear Fuel Challenge

Why Plutonium Is Not the Quick Solution to America’s Nuclear Fuel Challenge

UNITED STATES, June 15 – Brussels Morning Newspaper — plutonium nuclear fuel has returned to the spotlight as policymakers and energy experts debate how to strengthen America’s long-term nuclear energy supply. While some advocates point to plutonium as a possible future fuel source, specialists warn that the material presents major technical, economic, and security challenges that prevent it fro

Read More

UN Calls on Global Community to Remember Rohingya Refugees Amid Aid Reduction Threats

UN Calls on Global Community to Remember Rohingya Refugees Amid Aid Reduction Threats

In Geneva on Tuesday, UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch warned of significant cuts in humanitarian and development funding that threaten essential services for one of the largest refugee populations. He emphasized the critical role of Bangladesh and international support in addressing basic needs and providing protection. The mass arrival of Rohingya refugees began in August 2017, with approximatel

Read More

Kyiv Cathedral Hit by Russian Drone Strikes Overnight

Kyiv Cathedral Hit by Russian Drone Strikes Overnight

The leader of Ukraine’s Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv, described the incident as “another Russian crime against humanity, against history, against Christianity.”
“What more must the Kremlin Antichrist do for the world to realize that decisive action must be taken to end Russian terror against Ukraine and the very principles of peace?” he wrote on X.
Presi

Read More

“Growing sense” that Europe cannot rely on the U.S. for security – survey

“Growing sense” that Europe cannot rely on the U.S. for security – survey

Public support for expanding the EU eastwards is “slipping,” says a major new survey.
It found that majorities in most countries continue to view war torn Kyiv either as an “ally” or a “necessary partner”.
However, there is “markedly less enthusiasm and consensus” on subjects of long-term support such as sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine after the war and expanding the EU eastwards.
One of

Read More

Germany and Curaçao Open a World Cup Story About Scale

Germany and Curaçao Open a World Cup Story About Scale

The four-time champions start off in Houston against the smallest nation ever to qualify for the tournament
Germany’s World Cup kickoff against Curaçao in Houston goes beyond a clash between a European powerhouse and a newcomer. It serves as an early gauge of the expanded tournament’s potential: pressure for established teams, exposure for smaller football nations, and a reminder of

Read More

Bardella warns Brussels he won’t moderate

Bardella warns Brussels he won’t moderate

French presidential hopeful Jordan Bardella wants Brussels to know that if he reaches the Élysée, he won’t follow Italian PM Giorgia Meloni’s path from insurgent outsider to pragmatic EU power broker. POLITICO’s Marion Solletty joins Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur to discuss her wide-ranging interview with the far-right leader — including his plans to confront the EU, his pitch to French voter

Read More

CPMR Applauds EU’s Ambitious New Islands Strategy

CPMR Applauds EU’s Ambitious New Islands Strategy

The EU’s newly announced islands strategy has been hailed as a “welcome and historic step.”
The initiative, unveiled on Wednesday, marks the first attempt to give Europe’s islands and coastal areas a more coherent policy framework.
The European Commission formally adopted two dedicated strategies, one for EU islands and one for EU coastal communities.
This sets out for the first time a coordinate

Read More

Europe Cannot Ignore the Argument of a Post-Gaza World

Europe Cannot Ignore the Argument of a Post-Gaza World

Pankaj Mishra’s book, “The World After Gaza,” is a forceful exploration of historical and moral arguments, influenced by mass civilian suffering. It examines how memory, power, and selective empathy have shaped responses to Gaza. Published in February 2025 by Penguin Press, this 304-page book uses the war in Gaza to address the twentieth century’s moral histories. The publisher descri

Read More

Donald Trump’s Least Favorite Country Might Win His World Cup

Donald Trump’s Least Favorite Country Might Win His World Cup

Sánchez countered Trump’s pro-fossil fuel slogan, “Drill, baby, drill,” with his own: “Green, baby, green,” reflecting his government’s commitment to renewable energy. Madrid aims for 81 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2030, surpassing the EU average.
His administration strongly supports immigration on economic and humanitarian grounds and is in the process of legalizing the status o

Read More