The European Democracy Shield (EUDS), the European Commission’s latest initiative to “promote democracy,” appears to have deep ties to billionaire George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF), according to French MEP Virginie Joron.
Documents reviewed by European media reveal that key contributors and NGOs linked to the EUDS can be traced back to Soros’ extensive network. Among those involved are the Kofi Annan Foundation, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), and the European Partnership for Democracy—all of which have received substantial funding from OSF.
Between 2016 and 2023, the Kofi Annan Foundation alone secured over $4 million (€3.8 million) in grants. In 2022, OSF allocated $250,000 (€238,500) to the European Partnership for Democracy for digital policy initiatives. IDEA, meanwhile, has acknowledged OSF and USAID as its primary financial backers.
At a December 6, 2024, seminar hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), discussions focused on expanding EUDS’s scope, increasing its influence, and maximizing its political leverage. Then, on February 17, the European Parliament hosted EUDS’s first official meeting, inviting Romania’s Expert Forum and France’s digital watchdog Viginium.
Viginium, which recently reported on alleged foreign influence in Romania’s now-annulled 2024 election, warned that similar interference could target other EU nations, including France. The watchdog’s findings cited the Centre for AI and Digital Humanism (CAIDP), an NGO led by Joanna Bryson, a former ethics and technology professor at Germany’s Hertie School—an institution that has also received OSF funding. Expert Forum, too, has benefited from Soros-backed grants, including nearly $100,000 in 2017.
Joron criticized the involvement of OSF-backed experts in the EUDS, questioning its neutrality. While the EUDS is an advisory body with no legislative power, its recommendations could shape EU policies and regulations on democracy and political discourse. The revelation of Soros’ influence has sparked concerns among European observers about the true agenda behind this new “democracy enforcement” initiative.
