This week, we celebrated five years of our Brussels desk and of holding European power to account. From Von der Leyen’s deleted texts and Russia’s shadow fleet to Huaweigate and scandals at NATO, our newsletter this week looks back at the stories that defined our reporting.

Five years ago, we set up in Brussels to hold European power to account. We've reported on missing billions, exposed hidden dealings that harm society, and have become a headache for the powerful. The threats and insults keep coming. So do our investigations.

EU lawmakers are flying farther and more often – even to Singapore to study transparency. But their own travel costs remain unclear. As expenses soar, questions are growing over what taxpayers are actually getting in return for these trips.

MEPs could spend €80 million on travel next year, yet taxpayers can barely scrutinise the bill. After Nathan Gill was jailed for taking pro-Russian bribes, the European Parliament gave us a rare look into his expense records.

In the heart of European democracy, Ursula von der Leyen spoke about Europe’s future. Before journalists could ask questions, she was out the door. Also in this week’s Bureau Brussels: lawmakers challenge deleted texts, and a delayed report leaves questions over a €10 million grant unanswered.

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45 million more people risk acute hunger as conflict and the Strait of Hormuz closure disrupt supply chains. UN World Food Programme analyst Jean-Martin Bauer warns that war, extreme weather, and instability are straining the food system. “People around the world are going to feel this.”

The EU set out to protect the world's forests. Then, it watered down its landmark Deforestation Regulation and delayed it twice. Brussels blamed technical problems, but journalist Hans Wetzels found that there was a lot more to the story.

Pollute or fall behind? Europe faces a stark choice in the space race. SpaceX wants to launch a million data-centre satellites, but scientists warn that a crowded orbit could trigger collisions, disrupting communications, navigation, and internet access on Earth.

What did Ursula von der Leyen omit from her State of the European Union address? Why were two Russian oligarchs removed from the EU sanctions list? And how did the bloc’s independent anti-fraud watchdog end up evaluating itself? Find out in this week’s Bureau Brussels.

This week at Follow the Money: 🇪🇺 Could Brussels’ control of funds for poorer regions deepen political divides? 🎰 Leaked files expose Curaçao casino owners and regulators accused of missing red flags 💸 Meet Off the Books, our newsletter on fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion

What happens when Europe’s poorest regions lose control of the funding meant for them? Brussels wants to centralise the system, a shift that could deepen divides, fuel the far right and, insiders warn, give Ursula von der Leyen more control over the EU budget.

After 10 years covering financial crime, tax fraud, and those trying to stop it, Salsabil Fayed is launching a new monthly newsletter: Off the Books. In this first edition, she looks at Europe’s VAT fraud problem, the UN tax convention debate, and the EPPO’s cross-border work.

Curaçao is home to a secretive network of thousands of gambling sites, some illegally targeting customers worldwide. Who is behind them? A hacker obtained confidential documents revealing the identities of their hidden owners.

Our reporters, much like the rest of the bloc (and Canada), are still digesting Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech. One of her boldest messages took aim at Big Tech, but we’ve learned that some of the experts advising her panel have ties to the industry.