Follow the Money: The Podcast

Persecution, corruption, and even murder. In this summer series, Emma du Chatinier and Lise Witteman unpack recent groundbreaking stories by fellow journalists from across Europe. How did their investigations impact society? And what does their journalism reveal about the state of European democracy?

In this episode: Slovak investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée – archeologist Martina Kušnírová – were murdered in their home in 2018. Kuciak was investigating high-level corruption, including alleged connections to people around Prime Minister Robert Fico. After his death, journalists across Slovakia picked up the work Kuciak had been unable to finish. Their revelations, together with mass protests, even brought down the government.
Emma and Lise speak with Lukáš Diko, editor-in-chief of the Investigative Center of Ján Kuciak, about what the murder meant for Slovakia, and for the journalists who continued to follow Kuciak’s trail. “We never could have imagined that one of us could have been killed because of journalistic work.”

Europe set sky-high targets for green hydrogen. Today, it’s nowhere near meeting them. Journalist Jesse Pinster traced Brussels’ big hydrogen bet back to one professor: Ad van Wijk. How did his vision become that of Europe?

In bepaalde wijken in Nederland zijn mensen bij voorbaat verdacht. Zo ook in Zaanstad. Daar leidt de aanpak van ondermijnende criminaliteit tot adrescontroles in specifieke stadsdelen. De gemeente gaat ervan uit dat sommige inwoners crimineel zijn, zónder dat duidelijk is wat de bewijzen zijn, zo blijkt uit onderzoek van FTM. In deze aflevering van ‘Follow the Money interviewt’ gaat Annette van Soest erover in gesprek met mensenrechtenadvocaat Jelle Klaas.

For many observers across Europe, Spain has become a rare success story – offering hope that progressive politics can still succeed, govern, and project confidence on the world stage. But the reality behind the country’s image as the continent’s left-wing darling is more complicated, Spanish political scientist and activist Elsa Arnaiz says in a special episode.

Far-right groups in Europe are using PayPal to sell merchandise and raise money, despite the payment giant’s own rules prohibiting transactions that promote hate or discrimination. This highlights a broader failure by Big Tech, which is not just turning a blind eye but allowing extremist content to remain on its platforms.

Reporting by: Polina Bachlakova.