🇪🇺📬What’s happening in this week’s Bureau Brussels? Diplomats face the music over a secret Signal groupchat, Serbia and the Balkan’s press freedom is on its last legs while the Commission appears unbothered despite ongoing risks of secrets leaking to China through notified bodies. Latest edition👇

Weber off the hook ftm.eu/articles/eu-prosecutors-drop-investigation-epp-manfred-weber

In a bit, the EPP is expected to team up with the far right to get rid of legislation that holds companies accountable for human rights & environmental abuses. This is not new. Weber's promise to sideline extremists has been eroding for a year now as @alistairkeepe.bsky.social and I showed.

💥 www.ftm.eu/articles/rey...

🚨📱Under the EU’s DSA, X must report user-safety risks. Yet the platform hid data about child abuse and terrorism and now Brussels is helping to keep its reports confidential. An EU watchdog is calling the Commission out for shielding the platform. Read our update: www.ftm.eu/articles/eu-...

How Google won friends and influenced people - while slowly gobbling up a quarter of all ad revenue on the internet. Here's my look at two decades of Google’s ruthless tactics to secure its dominance. www.ftm.eu/articles/goo...

Last year, @alexfanta.bsky.social and I started collecting data on a decade of meetings between Google and the European Commission. Today, Alex shows how Google influenced people in Brussels to dominate the scene.

Google, the world’s largest search engine operating three in four smartphones, has played Brussels like a fiddle – shaping laws, silencing rivals, and calling it "innovation". The chart shows how Big Tech bankrolls Brussels’ top think tanks. Read our latest story here: www.ftm.eu/articles/goo...

Who FUNDS Europe's THOUGHTS ⚡ www.ftm.eu/articles/a-t...

🎙️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 👇

🔥This week, all eyes on #Natogate – our special Crime & Corruption edition breaks down the scandal with exclusive NATO details, plus fresh stories from Sarkozy’s sentence to EU VAT fraud and the ECB union clash. 🔗 Read & subscribe to keep corruption in check: www.ftm.eu/newsletters/...

🏆 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...

📢 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆, 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 #𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 – a two-part investigation into how NATO insiders, defence consultants and a Turkish arms magnate got tangled in a €2 million corruption web from Brussels to Washington. Read part 1, Washington’s Silence: www.ftm.eu/articles/us-...

Uitgerekend nu onze defensie-uitgaven explosief stijgen, wordt het NAVO-aankoopagentschap NSPA getroffen door liefst drie corruptieschandalen. Dat blijkt uit #NATOgate, een onderzoek van @knack.be @lalettre.bsky.social @ftm.eu @lesoir.be

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

#NATOGATE Trump Pulls Plug On Major NATO Corruption Probes – Top Suspects Walk Free #investigation by @simonvandorpe.bsky.social and @jesse-pinster.bsky.social @ftm.eu, together with media partners @lalettre.bsky.social, @lesoir.be, @knack.be and others 💥 www.ftm.eu/articles/us-...

In a shock U-turn, Chad has reversed its decision to expel the wildlife charity African Parks over alleged fraud and mismanagement. A threat by the EU to withhold aid from the Central African nation was a decisive factor, @ftm.eu's @oli4vb.bsky.social can reveal www.ftm.eu/articles/cha...

Following @greens-efa.eu request in response to revelations from @ftm.eu & @apache.be, LIBE committee @europarl.europa.eu will hold a debate about EU funding to Israeli #spyware companies. We call on full transparency and follow up on the PEGA committee recommendations. More info about date soon.

🇪🇺💰 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...

🇷🇸📺In a Dutch courtroom, Serbia’s last independent channel fights for survival as President Vučić’s grip tightens in an EU-candidate state edging toward Russia – a defeat that would weaken Europe’s influence and damage its democratic credibility. Read why it matters for Europe 👇

The worldwide #alcohol lobby went full TOBACCO on a small 🇪🇺 country to keep this basic info from your bottle: 🍺 alcohol causes liver disease 🍻 there is a direct link with cancer Even the 🇺🇸 government weight in to help Big Booze out... Read our latest story 👇 www.ftm.eu/articles/alc...

What mind-blowing investigations Europe's independent media had to offer this week! 🤯 www.ftm.eu/articles/sad...

NEU: Wie Ungarns Spione in Brüssel gegen die EU arbeiteten. Unsere Recherche mit @tijd.be und @direkt36.bsky.social zeigt erstmals, wie der ungarische Auslandsgeheimdienst EU-Beamte ins Visier nahm - und aufflog. Hier geht's zum Text im SPIEGEL www.spiegel.de/ausland/eu-w...

⚠️ 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.

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...

Does the European Parliament offer get-out-of-jail cards to its politicians? We looked into the system of immunity. Something is going on there ... Read our latest Crime& Corruption newsletter 👇 www.ftm.eu/articles/div...

MBDA parts for bombs that the IDF deploys in Gaza - our investigation with @arianelavrilleux.com @juliettegarside.bsky.social @manisha.bsky.social for @disclosengo.bsky.social @theguardian.com and @ftm.eu is shortlisted for the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize daphnejournalismprize.eu/edition-2025...

Breaking: Dutch court rules that Meta needs to offer chronological/ non algorithmic feed as clear and stable option (to Dutch users). Changes must be implemented in two weeks. 100,000 euro fine per day if non compliant. Case brought fwd by @bitsoffreedom.bsky.social nos.nl/l/2584891

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!

Hungary is handing its defence industry to a friendly telecoms company, tapping into EU funds. This isn’t a national issue but a European one: public money risks flowing straight into Orbán’s network. Brussels must act, or it will be the Union itself that gets hollowed out.

Hungary is selling a sizable slice of its #defence industry interests to.. a #telecoms company 😳 www.ftm.eu/articles/vik... @ftm.eu

Yep, that was me again

Europe’s public bank rocked by conflicts of interest and favouritism - yet again.. Our Brussels newsletter is out! @simonvandorpe.bsky.social www.ftm.eu/articles/bur...

En het is echt schandalig hoe te veel journalistieke opdrachtgevers zich misdragen. Heb ook te vaak dit soort wurgdeals onder mijn neus geschoven gekregen. Van omroepen die nota bene bestaan dankzij publiek geld.

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...

How to uncover fraud and corruption? Well, just #google it, antifraud watchdog OLAF seems to think! If only matters were that simple... Read our latest Crime & Corruption newsletter 👇 www.ftm.eu/articles/new...

Von der Leyen says "informed citizens who can trust what they read and hear are essential to keep those-in-power accountable", and that the press should remain free. You know what would help? A Commission that actually answers questions (on-record) and handles access to documents requests quicker.

One of the founders of the "Great Firewall" - blocking Chinese people from the truth - is now exporting his #censorship tech to regimes worldwide. With aid from EU firms. Todays story, in partnership with @papertrailmedia.de www.ftm.eu/articles/how...

EU hotshots have been trying to get special treatment when suspected of fraud.. A must read on the battle against the rot from within 👇

🔥 Laura Kövesi, the first European Chief Prosecutor, has locked horns with EU institutions and powerful political figures. Insiders question if her successor, whose appointment process is in full swing, will continue to crack the whip. ✅ Free to read today on @ftm.eu ⤵️ www.ftm.eu/articles/eu-...

On Monday @alistairkeepe.bsky.social asked why Commission President’s Signal messages were auto-deleted. Part of the answer: to save space. On Tuesday @alexfanta.bsky.social followed up: von der Leyen has a smartphone with lots of storage, so what gives? The question was skillfully sidestepped.

A European Commission spokeswoman said today, in 2025, that the automatic deletion of Signal messages is turned on "to save space".

Transparency rules in the spotlight amid questions over missing text messages

Find the full video of the Commission's response here: audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/media/vid...

News update - in today's midday briefing, the European Commission confirmed that von der Leyen's text messages are reviewed by her chief of staff, Björn Seibert, before deletion. No review by any one else, either within the Commission or independently.

The most powerful woman in Europe has set accountability on auto-delete 👇

NEWS Ursula von der Leyen has set text message exchanges to auto-delete 🙄 www.ftm.eu/articles/von...

2025 is a record-breaking year for claims filed by fossil fuel and mining firms against democratic policies. Read @ftm.eu's latest report www.ftm.eu/articles/fos...

🎙️ 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...