Carbon credits are marketed as a simple solution to climate change: companies can offset CO₂ by funding green initiatives such as forest protection and tree planting. Yet many of these offsets have been exposed as ineffective at cutting emissions, or even harmful. Follow the Money reporters Mira Sys and Ties Gijzel explain how this market really works – and why we shouldn’t bank on it to protect our planet.

Hungary is heading into a pivotal election. After 16 years in power, Viktor Orbán faces his most serious challenger yet. Péter Magyar emerged out of the blue and quickly transformed himself into the face of the opposition. But who is he really? Hungarian journalist Patrik Galavits traces the rise of the man expected to become the country’s next premier – and explains what that could mean for Hungary and Europe.

Related stories ➪

https://www.ftm.eu/articles/orban-main-rival-hungary-brussels-elections-no-trust-just-yet

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As the European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders was tasked with defending the rule of law across the EU. But days after leaving office, his home was raided as part of a money laundering probe. Journalist Simon Van Dorpe unpacks the story of one of Europe’s most influential politicians – and his fall from grace.

Related stories ➪

https://www.ftm.eu/articles/reynders-charged-in-money-laundering-probe

https://www.ftm.eu/articles/didier-reynders-ally-target-corruption-probe

https://www.ftm.eu/articles/reynders-money-laundering-what-we-know-so-far

https://www.ftm.eu/articles/european-commissioner-didier-reynders-investigated-for-alleged-fraud

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Before Hungarian premier Viktor Orbán dismantled Hungary’s independent press, before media tycoons conglomerated power across Europe, there was a chance to stop it all. Our podcast goes behind the scenes of an investigation that found secret letters and lobbying that killed a plan to protect Europe’s media.

Microloans were meant to lift people out of poverty. But in Cambodia, they’ve pushed families into crushing debt – and in some cases, even to suicide. Reporters Leila Goldstein and Phon Sothyroth travelled across the country to investigate how European development institutions helped fuel a system that profits from desperation.

Content warning: This episode discusses suicide.

Soldiers are no strangers to danger. But what if they’re putting themselves, and national security, at risk by swiping on Tinder? Journalists Dimitri Tokmetzis, Sebastiaan Brommersma, and Martijn Reuvers revealed how data from Tinder can be used to track where soldiers are and even find out where they live.

We’re taking a short podcast break and will be back early next year! Got any tips, feedback, or comments? Email us at [email protected]

Related stories ➪

https://www.ftm.eu/articles/bitcoin-mining-in-congo-rainforest-thanks-to-eu

https://www.ftm.eu/articles/europe-health-data-us-firm-israel-spies

https://www.ftm.eu/articles/google-antitrust-eu-us-regulators?

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Donating old clothes or buying second-hand is widely seen as eco-friendly. Yet an FTM investigation reveals a more complicated – and polluting – reality. Journalists Helena Rodríguez Gómez, Raluca Besliu, and Vittoria Torsello tracked clothes donated across the EU. The garments travelled thousands of kilometres, passed through special economic zones, and in some cases even returned to Europe – exposing an industry in deep crisis.

𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 ➪

https://www.ftm.eu/articles/europe-second-hand-clothes-trade-carbon-emissions

𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁

https://www.ftm.eu/podcast/follow-the-money-the-podcast

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Think tanks present themselves as neutral institutions shaping Europe’s policy debates. But an investigation by FTM paints a different picture. Journalists Salsabil Fayed, Alistair Keepe and Ada Homolova found that Brussels’ most influential think tanks receive a third of their funding from U.S. sources – from philanthropists to major tech firms. This gives American interests a little-known but significant foothold in the EU’s policy arena.

Money shapes nearly every part of our lives, but few of us understand how it really works. In his upcoming book Plenty of Money (But Not for You), journalist Thomas Bollen exposes the hidden machinery of money, and the power wielded by commercial banks. His research demonstrates why real reform has stalled, and what it would take to regain control of the financial system.