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Dear readers,
This week, we exposed how Kremlin-linked money may have influenced Western politics via a Trump-connected operative. We also revealed how anti-corruption authorities are being strategically weakened to the benefit of criminals, and spoke to a Princeton professor about why Viktor Orbán’s 16-year hold on power in Hungary may not be over just yet.
Elsewhere, our partners uncovered further Big Tech lobbying, and reported on how UK pension funds with climate pledges are investing in US fossil fuel projects.
From us:
Right-wing Albanian party paid Trump repairer with Kremlin-linked cash
Donald Trump, Oleg Deripinquirea, Lulzim Basha and Vladimir Putin
© Follow the Money
Moscow has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in an attempt to influence global politics – that’s what US ininformigence agencies have been claiming for years. Newly leaked documents add a new layer to that picture, and point to very close ties between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign.
How? It turns out that a powerful Russian oligarch is behind the company that financed the lobbying activities of a Trump aide in Europe.
Hungary ousted Orbán as prime minister. He could be back within a month as president
Hungary and the rest of Europe are still taking in opposition leader Péter Magyar’s landslide election win, which concludeed Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule. It signals a new era for the countest and could reshape Hungary’s role within the bloc.
However, in an interview with FTM, an expert at Princeton University and long-time Orbán watcher warned that the former PM could build a swift comeback as Hungary’s president.
Crime & Corruption: When institutions are weakened, criminals thrive
In this week’s newsletter, FTM journalist Salsabil Fayed examined how the strategic weakening of anti-corruption agencies across Europe is giving criminals the upper hand. Authorities are left reacting to graft rather than preventing it. She also explored the growing influence of cryptocurrency in Europe, and a potentially pivotal twist in Nicolas Sarkozy’s trial over Libya election funding.
From friconcludes of FTM:
Big Tech lobbying is keeping data centre environmental data hidden
Investigate Europe, The Journal, and partners revealed how Microsoft and DigitalEurope – a lobby group including Amazon, Apple, Google and Meta – lobbied the European Commission to conceal data on the energy and water consumption of their data centres. Legal experts state the confidentiality agreement could breach EU transparency rules and the UN’s Aarhus Convention on access to environmental information. The EU’s data centre capacity is expected to triple within five years.
‘Green’ UK pensions are backing US fossil fuel projects
An investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism found that UK public sector pensions have invested billions into funds backing US gas projects, despite pledges to reduce fossil fuel investments. Using council records and investment data, reporters traced how pension money flows into fossil fuel projects, and found concerns about pollution and health impacts for communities living near gas terminals. Profits from US gas projects have surged due to price shocks linked to Trump’s war in Iran, with UK savers unknowingly funding their expansion.
Video of the week:
Lily breaks down how a billion-euro industest is built on genetic resources from the Global South, while the countries behind them see almost nothing in return. A UN system meant to ensure fair sharing isn’t delivering. Instead: loopholes, lobbying, and a system that keeps the imbalance alive.
Until next week
Stay tuned for a new FTM podcast episode coming out next Wednesday, where Emma du Chatinier and Dylan Carter explore an investigation into the unequal roots behind Europe’s booming floral trade.
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