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This week: Orbán is caught red-handed running a spy network inside the EU, politicians turn paid ads into weapons against journalists, and the EU’s most sensitive health data is sold to a U.S. firm run by ex-Israeli spies. Ah Europe, the plot writes itself…

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Here’s the best investigative journalism of the week.


Under the Lens🇭🇺🕵️‍♂️Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been spying on EU institutions in Brussels for years

De Tijd | 09.10.2025

An investigation by De Tijd, Direkt36, Paper Trail Media, Der Spiegel, and Der Standard revealed that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been spying on EU institutions for years through a secret intelligence network, including Hungary’s permanent representation to the EU when Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi served as ambassador. The European Commission said it takes the claims “very seriously” and will form an internal group to examine them. A spokesperson for Ursula von der Leyen confirmed the president is aware but declined to say whether she will take action. MEP Elio Di Rupo called for a parliamentary investigation, warning this could be “one of the biggest scandals in EU history”, while MEP Sara Matthieu urged a full probe, saying if Várhelyi was involved, “he cannot remain in office”.

🌐📱#SponsoredHate: How Politicians Paid for Meta Ads to Attack Journalists

Investigatívne centrum Jána Kuciaka (ICJK)  | 08.10.25

An international project led by ICJK in collaboration with VSquare, FRONTSTORY.PL, and Investigace.cz. found 773 sponsored political ads on Meta targeting journalists, NGOs and media in the Visegrad region – 523 in Slovakia alone. Most were paid for by Smer-SD, a left-wing populist and nationalist party attacking Denník N, SME, and Aktuality. Meta may have earned around €60,000 from these posts. “Politicians have turned paid ads into a weapon against the free press,” warned a researcher. Hungary had nearly 200 such ads pushing Fidesz narratives, Czech far-right parties smeared public media, and Poland saw few. Experts warn that even with new EU rules banning political ads, hate campaigns may persist through bots and fake networks.

🇮🇱🗄️Europeans’ health data sold to U.S. firm run by ex-Israeli spies

Follow the Money | 09.10.25

A former intelligence officer told Follow the Money that “all the red flags should have been raised” over the sale of Dutch secure messaging firm Zivver to a U.S. company led by former Israeli intelligence officers. Used by hospitals, courts and immigration services across the U.K., the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, the 2025 acquisition has put highly sensitive European data in foreign hands. Follow the Money also found that Zivver’s system, advertised as fully encrypted, allows temporary access to messages before encryption, raising further questions about privacy and oversight.

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🐔🇪🇺 Europe’s chickens are growing faster, and suffering more

#ChicksOnSpeed, a cross-border investigation by Bloomberg, Le Parisien, UFC-Que Choisir, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, and Mindcraft Stories exposed the rise of ‘turbochickens’ – fast-growing breeds reaching slaughter weight in just five weeks. Making up nearly two-fifths of the world’s 22.7 billion meat chickens, they pose what experts call the “biggest animal welfare problem in all animal husbandry”. The probe also reveals tensions between poultry giants and NGOs pushing higher welfare standards through the BCC and ECC.

🇩🇰💣 Documents reveal Denmark sending fighter jet parts to Israel

Previously secret records obtained by Danwatch, Information, and The Ditch show Denmark’s Defence Ministry sent F-35 jet parts from Southern Jutland to Israel as recently as August, despite evidence of war crimes in Gaza. The parts, labelled “military aircraft spares”, went directly to Nevatim Air Base. “It is a violation of EU and UN arms export rules”, said law professor Jacques Hartmann, calling Denmark’s role “grotesque”. The government claims the U.S.-owned stock is exempt – a defence scholars call a legal loophole.

🌊🇬🇷 Climate displacement forcing Greek’s out of their homes

Devastating floods that struck Greece in 2023 forced thousands from their homes, with some still living in Koutsochero, a former refugee camp once housing people from Syria and Afghanistan. Solomon and Meridio News’s investigation reveals a striking irony: in 2015, over 800,000 refugees entered Europe through Greece, and now Greeks themselves seek shelter in the very same camps.

🇮🇹💼Italian businessman tycoon among targets of Israeli Paragon spyware

An investigation by IrpiMedia and La Stampa found that billionaire Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone was among Italians targeted by Graphite, spyware made by Israeli firm Paragon Solutions and spread via a WhatsApp flaw. Journalists and NGO workers were also hit, raising concerns over surveillance and accountability in Europe. The findings follow Follow the Money’s reporting that EU and Italian funds supported spyware makers like Cy4Gate and the Intellexa Alliance.