Follow the Money: The Podcast How Europe’s largest party made an enemy out of NGOs
Aug 26, 2025
Lise Witteman, a deputy editor at Follow the Money, and Hans Wetzels, an investigative journalist covering European environmental policies, dive into the European People's Party's contentious campaign against NGOs. They reveal how the EPP has scapegoated these organizations amid its retreat from the Green Deal. The discussion touches on rising populism, the challenges NGOs face in a hostile political landscape, and the importance of diverse voices in environmental policymaking. Their insights shed light on the fragile balance between politics and civic engagement in Europe.
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EPP's Disproportionate Political Power
- The EPP is the most powerful group in the European Parliament and shapes policy across member states.
- Its influence gives its campaign against NGOs outsized political weight in Brussels.
Tabloid Sparked The Investigation
- The Telegraph front-paged a claim that the European Commission secretly funded NGOs to lobby for green policies in early 2025.
- Follow the Money reporters Lise Witteman and Hans Wetzels launched an investigation to verify that claim.
Contracts Show NGOs' Own Work Plans
- Examination of LIFE fund contracts found no evidence of commission-issued 'marching orders' to NGOs.
- Contracts contained NGOs' own work plans explaining how they would use public funds for advocacy and projects.