A damning new report from MCC Brussels, The Commission’s Propaganda by Proxy, exposes how the European Commission has funneled billions of taxpayer euros into NGOs and think tanks that act less like independent organizations and more like megaphones for Brussels’ political goals.
Programs like Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) are not about fostering debate—they’re about reinforcing pro-EU narratives while sidelining dissent.
The report lays bare how the Commission strategically funds groups that align with its agenda, ensuring their financial dependence and transforming them into unofficial spokespersons. What was once an executive body managing EU affairs has morphed into an ideological machine, weaponizing public funds to shape public opinion.
One glaring example is the Young European Federalists (JEF), which received over €1.2 million between 2021 and 2025 to rally young people behind deeper European integration. Another case is the European Policy Centre (EPC), a think tank that has pocketed nearly €30 million in a decade while advocating for an ever-stronger EU superstate.
CERV: A Propaganda Pipeline Disguised as Democracy Funding
With a budget of €1.5 billion, the CERV program claims to promote democracy and human rights. In reality, it bankrolls initiatives designed to crush euroskeptic sentiment. One such project, RevivEU, run by the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, secured €645,000 between 2023 and 2024 to “combat euroskeptic narratives” in Hungary, Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia. Another, Hold on to Europe, received €27,500 to “increase citizens’ interest in the EU” and push for deeper integration. Under the guise of defending “European values,” these projects amount to taxpayer-funded indoctrination.
Political Meddling with EU Money
The Commission isn’t just shaping opinions—it’s interfering in national politics. In countries governed by euroskeptics, Brussels has funneled cash to opposition NGOs. In Hungary, the Ökotárs Foundation got €4 million in 2022, despite Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government flagging it as a foreign-funded operation designed to undermine his leadership. Poland saw similar interference, with EU-backed NGOs actively supporting protests against its conservative government.
Perhaps most concerning is the utter lack of transparency. Funds are distributed with minimal oversight, bypassing national authorities entirely. A 2018 European Court of Auditors report already warned about Brussels’ secrecy, yet little has changed.
Undermining Democracy, One Grant at a Time
The EU claims to champion democracy, but its funding practices suggest otherwise. Rather than fostering a free and open debate, the Commission is using taxpayer money to prop up loyal allies and silence critics. This strategy doesn’t strengthen democracy—it erodes it, turning NGOs into tools of a power-hungry bureaucracy.
If European citizens are footing the bill, they deserve to know exactly where their money is going—and whether it’s being used to protect democracy or impose an agenda.
