But some lawmakers in Brussels who write and vote on farm policy admit that they often have no idea where the money goes. Governments of member countries have wide latitude in distributing those subsidies, and in parts of Central and Eastern Europe, most of the money goes to a connected and powerful few, a Times investigation found. Why this matters: Farm policy in the E.U. — widely seen as an essential component of public welfare — is being exploited by the same antidemocratic forces that threaten the bloc from within. Its shares are expected to begin trading next month on the Saudi stock exchange, and investors may value the company at $1.5 trillion.

Source: New York Times November 04, 2019 10:30 UTC