Millions in U.S. Grants Seek Right-Wing Recipients in the EU

Washington is preparing to put money behind the prospect of a rightward shift in Europe. Parliamentary and presidential elections next year in three of the European Union’s five largest member states, Spain, France and Poland, could bring conservative or right-authoritarian forces to power that view Donald Trump’s politics favorably.

The White House’s latest National Security Strategy has already described the growing influence of Europe’s "patriotic" parties as a source of optimism. In July and August, the U.S. State Department followed that message with three multimillion-dollar grant programs designed to promote Trumpism in Europe through like-minded organizations and media.

Together, the three funding pools offer about $9 million, or 7.8 million euros, according to the report. A separate description in the article puts the U.S. government’s planned support for like-minded organizations at more than $25 million. Yet none of the most influential and best-organized right-authoritarian groups and think tanks appears to have shown interest in the money.

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The growing influence of patriotic European parties is indeed cause for great optimism.

Hans Hausberger of Germany’s Desiderius-Erasmus Foundation told Die Presse, "We have not participated in any of these calls for proposals, nor have we applied for other funding from the U.S. State Department. However, we do not rule out doing so on another occasion." The foundation describes itself as ideologically close to the Alternative for Germany, which the article says has led national polling for months and could win an election in Saxony-Anhalt this month.

One grant, worth about $4.9 million, calls for projects supporting "the development of civilizational connections, democratic resilience and the rule of law in Europe." The funding could cover research, conferences, cultural exchange and civil-society support focused on national sovereignty, migration, censorship and legal responses to warfare.

The call does not name the EU directly, but criticizes supranational institutions and governments for allegedly using broad hate-speech laws and online-content regulations to undermine democratic self-government. The article then turns to Vienna, where it begins examining the role of hate-speech rules and the limits of online freedom of expression.

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We have not participated in any of these calls for proposals, nor have we applied for other funding from the U.S. State Department. However, we do not rule out doing so on another occasion.