Poland’s EU Council presidency, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, is urging the European Commission to step up its financial support for globalist NGOs in the wake of reduced USAID funding.
Speaking to EU diplomats in Brussels last week, Tusk emphasized the need to fill the gap left by former U.S. President Donald Trump’s cuts to foreign aid, warning that without this funding, pro-democracy NGOs and media groups might struggle to continue their work.
As part of the EU’s broader defense strategy, known as “ReArm Europe,” Dutch law professor John Morijn has suggested allocating 1-2% of the planned €800 billion defense budget to support democracy. This could amount to as much as €16 billion in funding for NGOs, which Morijn argues is necessary to maintain their activities in Europe.
Meanwhile, Hungarian lawmakers, including Minister for EU Affairs János Bóka, are pushing back against such funding, arguing that the EU should avoid stepping into areas beyond its competence. Bóka specifically called for more transparency in NGO financing, asserting that the Commission should not make up for the USAID shortfall.
In Slovakia, the debate over NGO influence in national politics has heated up, with critics accusing lawmakers of enacting “Putin-style” legislation. Despite opposition from several member states, the Polish presidency remains committed to securing EU funds for NGOs to support their political agenda in Europe, hoping that the upcoming European Council meeting will address the issue of “defending democracy” with taxpayer money.
