Author | Lightnews

Emma du Chatinier @emmaduchatinier.bsky.social · 3d

In ep.15 of the @ftm.eu podcast, @jesse-pinster.bsky.social tells us all about how Viktor Orbán handed over Hungary's defence industry to one of his business allies. Watch/listen on YouTube and all podcast platforms:

open.spotify.com/episode/7MAc...

Spotify – Web Player

open.spotify.com

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Reposted by Emma du Chatinier

Follow the Money EU @ftm.eu · 3d

🎙️New podcast: As Europe ramps up defence spending, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán has handed his country’s defence industry to a trusted ally. Journalist Jesse Pinster uncovers how EU funds and state assets are funnelled into Orbán’s inner circle – and why Brussels seems powerless to stop it.

Listen now 👇

Podcast | How Orbán funnels Hungary’s assets to his allies

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has handed over his country’s defence industry to one of his business allies – just as Europe is pouring billions into military spending. Journalist Jesse Pinster...

www.ftm.eu

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Reposted by Emma du Chatinier

Follow the Money EU @ftm.eu · 3d

🏆 We’re honoured to receive the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism 2025 for our cross-border investigation The Shadow Fleet Secrets.

Read the investigation here: www.ftm.eu/files/the-sh...

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Simon Van Dorpe @simonvandorpe.bsky.social · 5d

💥 Here’s what you need to know about #Natogate, the corruption scandal that broke today, in 10 skeets #bagsofcash #ammunition #NSPA (link to full stories below)

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Jesse Pinster @jesse-pinster.bsky.social · 5d

Three suspects (incl the CEO of a big Turkish arms company), involved in major bribery cases related to NATO, were about to be extradited from European jails to the U.S.

But then something happened…

Read our @ftm.eu investigation together with @lesoir.be @knack.be and La Lettre.

#NatoGate

U.S. pulls plug on major NATO corruption probes – top suspects walk free

A NATO corruption scandal made international headlines when several suspects were arrested across Europe in May. Several months later, the U.S. dropped charges against four of them – including a Turki...

www.ftm.eu

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Reposted by Emma du Chatinier

Follow the Money EU @ftm.eu · 8d

💰 𝗔 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲. €𝟭𝟱𝟬𝗠 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝗨 𝗮𝗶𝗱. 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁.
Virunga was meant to protect nature – instead, EU money helped fund a crypto-fuelled project in Congo.

🎧 Listen to our latest episode on our website, app and on major streaming services here: www.ftm.eu/articles/pod...

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Reposted by Emma du Chatinier

Follow the Money EU @ftm.eu · 10d

🇪🇺💰 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐔 𝐚𝐢𝐝. 𝐀 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐠𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐀 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐨.

What began as a conservation project to protect Virunga National Park became a story of conflict, broken promises – and Bitcoin mining in the rainforest.

🎙️ Journalist Olivier van Beemen investigates 👇

www.ftm.eu/articles/pod...

Podcast | A Belgian prince’s parade in Congo

A Belgian prince is running a conservation project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, – financed by millions in European aid. Journalist Olivier van Beemen reveals how more than 150 million euros i...

www.ftm.eu

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Emma du Chatinier @emmaduchatinier.bsky.social · 10d

In ep.#14 of the @ftm.eu podcast, journalist @oli4vb.bsky.social reveals how over €150M in EU funds fueled a Belgian prince's failed conservation dream in Congo’s Virunga Park: open.spotify.com/episode/5AkN...

A Belgian prince’s parade in Congo

open.spotify.com

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Reposted by Emma du Chatinier

Vas Panagiotopoulos @vaspanagiotopoulos.com · 17d

⚠️ Since the piece was published, 39 MEPs from 4 political groups have written to the @ec.europa.eu to express their "deep concerns" that EU subsidies, alongside national taxpayer funds, have directly financed #spyware companies.

Saskia Bricmont @saskiabricmont.bsky.social · 25d

Public money is funding spyware!

With 39 MEPs from 4 political groups, we are writing to the @ec.europa.eu to express deep concerns following @ftm.eu revelations that EU financed spyware companies!

This must stop! We call on full transparency and follow up on the PEGA committee recommendations!

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Vas Panagiotopoulos @vaspanagiotopoulos.com · 17d

Really enjoyed speaking with @emmaduchatinier.bsky.social and @alexfanta.bsky.social on the @ftm.eu podcast about my investigation into 🇪🇺European funding for commercial #spyware companies.

Thanks for having me! 🙏

📺 Watch: youtu.be/htXwY5KQzas?...

🎧 Listen: www.ftm.eu/articles/eur...

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Emma du Chatinier @emmaduchatinier.bsky.social · 19d

Op 14 oktober presenteert @brusselsenieuwe.bsky.social
het grote Europawoordvoerders-verkiezingsdebat, gepresenteerd door Sander van Vliet, Bijou van der Borst, Yves Lacroix en mijzelf. Kom dat zien in @nieuwspoort.bsky.social:
www.nieuwspoort.nl/programma/he...

Het grote Europawoordvoerders verkiezingsdebat - Brusselse Nieuwe

Europa bepaalt steeds meer de spelregels voor Nederland.

www.nieuwspoort.nl

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Emma du Chatinier @emmaduchatinier.bsky.social · Sep 24

Ep.11 of the @ftm.eu podcast: European companies are plundering Senegal's seas. Local fishermen’s nets are coming back empty. The culprit? European fishing companies. With livelihoods disappearing, many young West-Africans see no option but to migrate to Europe. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/f...

European companies are plundering Senegal’s seas

Podcast Episode · Follow the Money: The Podcast · 24/09/2025 · 19m

podcasts.apple.com

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Reposted by Emma du Chatinier

Follow the Money EU @ftm.eu · Sep 17

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni vowed to solve Italy’s migration challenges by building offshore migrant centres in Albania to process asylum seekers. Three years on, the hubs are half-empty, construction costs have ballooned into millions and courts keep stalling progress.

Podcast | Meloni's €70-million migration fiasco

When Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ran her election campaign in 2022, she promised a bold solution to Italy’s migration issues: building offshore migrant centres in Albania. But three years la...

www.ftm.eu

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Emma du Chatinier @emmaduchatinier.bsky.social · Sep 17

In ep.10 of the @ftm.eu podcast, journalist James Imam tells us all about Meloni's €70M migration fiasco: alleged human rights abuses, half-empty hubs, ballooning costs and legal chaos.

"Italians are paying for prisons in a foreign country that are leading to great suffering"

Meloni's €70 million migration fiasco

Podcast Episode · Follow the Money: The Podcast · 17/09/2025 · 24m

podcasts.apple.com

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Emma du Chatinier @emmaduchatinier.bsky.social · Sep 11

In 2021, von der Leyen texted Pfizer’s CEO ahead of a multi-billion € vaccine deal. When @alexfanta.bsky.social
asked to see the texts, the Commission refused. In episode #9 of the @ftm.eu podcast, we unpack #Pfizergate with @lise-witteman.bsky.social
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/f...

Von der Leyen’s secret texts with Pfizer

Podcast Episode · Follow the Money: The Podcast · 10/09/2025 · 24m

podcasts.apple.com

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Reposted by Emma du Chatinier

Follow the Money EU @ftm.eu · Sep 8

Daniel Křetínský is a Czech billionaire businessman who built his fortune on coal – all the while receiving hundreds of millions of euros for green subsidies from the EU. In our latest podcast episode, journalists Hazel Sheffield and Sofia Cherici unpick his vast empire: www.ftm.nl/s/50a39

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Emma du Chatinier @emmaduchatinier.bsky.social · Aug 28

Veilige routes vergroten, gevaarlijke overtochten beperken – naar het Canadese voorbeeld. Dat is de verkiezingsinzet van @d66.nl op migratie. Maar kan dat wel in Europa? Voor @brusselsenieuwe.bsky.social sprak ik met @annemarijke.bsky.social over de nieuwe migratiekoers van haar partij:

Interview | Anne-Marijke Podt (D66) over koerswijziging op migratie: inspiratie uit Canada, maar een-op-een toepassen in Europa kan niet - Brusselse Nieuwe

D66 wil migratie hervormen met een systeem naar Canadees model: legale routes, minder bootvluchtelingen. Anne-Marijke Podt legt uit wat dit voor asielzoekers en Europa betekent.

brusselsenieuwe.nl

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Alistair Keepe @alistairkeepe.bsky.social · Aug 28

2025 is a record-breaking year for claims filed by fossil fuel and mining firms against democratic policies – marking a grim milestone in a surge of polluting industries seeking compensation for lost profits via a secretive tribunal.

For @ftm.eu with contributions by ao @anilyilmaz.bsky.social

Record number of corporate lawsuits target climate action in controversial tribunal

Behind closed doors in Washington, D.C., fossil fuel and mining companies are suing governments over lost profits. Follow the Money has analysed how a system built to protect foreign investors poses a...

www.ftm.eu

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Follow the Money EU @ftm.eu · Aug 27

Europe’s most powerful political party has picked an unexpected enemy: NGOs. After it claimed Brussels was secretly bankrolling green lobbyists, journalists Lise Witteman and Hans Wetzels found a very different story. Watch the full episode here: www.ftm.nl/s/f37b9

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Emma du Chatinier @emmaduchatinier.bsky.social · Aug 26

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIU_...

How Europe’s largest party made an enemy out of NGOs

YouTube video by Follow the Money EU

www.youtube.com

Emma du Chatinier @emmaduchatinier.bsky.social · Aug 26

open.spotify.com/episode/1LEX...

How Europe’s largest party made an enemy out of NGOs

open.spotify.com

Emma du Chatinier @emmaduchatinier.bsky.social · Aug 26

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/f...

How Europe’s largest party made an enemy out of NGOs

Podcast Episode · Follow the Money: The Podcast · 26/08/2025 · 30m

podcasts.apple.com

Emma du Chatinier @emmaduchatinier.bsky.social · Aug 26

🎙️ Episode #7 of the @ftm.eu podcast:
After the @eppgroup.bsky.social claimed Brussels was secretly funding green lobbyists, @lise-witteman.bsky.social & Hans Wetzels uncovered a very different story.

The EPP is scapegoating NGOs as it backpedals on the Green Deal.

🔗 www.ftm.eu/articles/pod...

Podcast | How Europe’s largest party made an enemy out of NGOs

Europe’s most powerful political party has picked an unexpected enemy: NGOs. After it claimed Brussels was secretly bankrolling green lobbyists, Follow the Money journalists Lise Witteman and Hans Wet...

www.ftm.eu

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Reposted by Emma du Chatinier

Follow the Money EU @ftm.eu · Aug 21

When French distributors faced a crop shortage, they used cheap Spanish bulk wine and falsely labeled it as Vin de France. Watch our latest podcast episode to find out how this "solution” quickly became one of the biggest wine frauds in recent years: www.ftm.eu/articles/pod...

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Emma du Chatinier @emmaduchatinier.bsky.social · Aug 19

Your “French” wine might not be French at all. 🍷 In episode #6 of the @ftm.eu podcast, journalist & wine connoisseur Barnaby Eales dives into how fraudsters passed off millions of litres of Spanish bulk wine as premium French bottles.
www.ftm.eu/articles/pod...

Podcast | Bottled lies: Europe’s wine industry is tainted by fraud

The bottle of wine on your dinner table might not be what it claims. Journalists Barnaby Eales and Dominique Mesmin took a deep dive into how fraudsters sold millions of litres of Spanish bulk wine, p...

www.ftm.eu

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