EU: Where does the money go?

Hosted by Culturall Europe

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Event Description

🗣️ Panel Discussion: Europe: Where Does the Money Go?

The evening will open with a 45–60 minute discussion exploring how EU funds are managed, where vulnerabilities lie, and what happens when accountability mechanisms fail.

Lise Witteman heads the European desk at the investigative outlet Follow the Money. In May 2024, she released her latest book, Who’s Watching Brussels? Why the EU Deserves Better Watchdogs, a sharp examination of accountability and oversight in the EU.

Koen Roovers is an inquiries officer in the Office of the European Ombudsman, a role he has held since September 2016. As part of the strategic inquiries team, he focuses on inquiries and initiatives that are aimed at driving structural improvements within the EU administration. Prior to joining the Ombudsman, Koen accumulated over 10 years of experience in EU decision-making processes and policies, both within and outside of EU institutions. He holds a master's degree in International Organisations and International Relations from the University of Groningen.

Nick Aiossa is the Director at Transparency International EU. He has coordinated a number of Transparency International’s advocacy campaigns on EU legislation. This has included successful adoption of the EU Whistleblower directive and the Rule of Law Conditionality regulation.

MEP Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle (Renew/NL) was named an MEP to watch by Politico and reached a seemingly impossible political deal on the first-ever European Anti-Corruption Directive. Spanish by birth, Dutch and Frisian by choice and European by conviction, she advocates for women's rights and Europe's regions. At the same time, she advocates against corruption and criminal misuse of fireworks as a member of Parliament's Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee.

MEP Daniel Freund is a member of the European Parliament for the Greens/EFA. Since 2019, he has been fighting against corruption and for the rule of law and transparency. On missions to Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, Daniel has seen how quickly freedom and civil rights can disappear when the wrong people come to power. He previously worked for Transparency International.

Moderator : Elena Sánchez Nicolás is Editor in Chief of TheEUObserver

🎥 Film Screening: Two Prosecutors (2025)

Synopsis:

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Two Prosecutors by Sergei Loznitsa is a chilling, tightly directed drama that feels more politically urgent than ever. Set in the Soviet Union of 1937, Loznitsa crafts a cold, Kafkaesque parable about a young, idealistic state prosecutor who discovers an anonymous letter and sets out in pursuit of justice. What follows is a penetrating journey through the machinery of Stalinist terror: bureaucracy, manipulation, and the dehumanization of law. With meticulous mise-en-scène, stark imagery, and intense performances, the film builds a suffocating atmosphere where every glance carries weight. 

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‍Two Prosecutors is a stark warning about the fragile boundary between loyalty and moral courage. Idealism collides head-on with a system bent on protecting itself. In the lead role, Aleksandr Kuznetsov delivers a performance both grand and restrained. With surgical precision, Loznitsa shows how ideals are punished. Every line of dialogue is charged, every movement of the machinery of power breathes foreboding.

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The film, set in a justice system where legality can be distorted by political power, offers a powerful lens through which to examine Europe’s own challenges in safeguarding public resources.

🕒 Evening Agenda:

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• 19:00 – 19:30: Doors opening
• 19:30 – 20:30: Panel discussion & Q&A
• 20:45: 22:45 – : Screening (film duration: 117 minutes)

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About Films & Politics

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Films & Politics is a series by newframes designed to bring social issues to life through cinema, focusing on the challenges of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Each monthly event features a film screening followed by a discussion with one or more expert panellists, fostering democratic participation and meaningful dialogue between civil society, industry, and policymakers. 

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Any inquiries? Please reach out to us at claire@newframes.eu