Conservative leaders from across Europe gathered in Vienna’s Austrian Parliament this week to sound the alarm on the unchecked influence of EU-funded NGOs, accusing them of operating as a hidden power shaping European policy behind the scenes.
Arranged by the Patriots for Europe group, the conference included Austria’s Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs (FPÖ), Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), Hungary’s Fidesz, and Poland’s Konfederacja, who share the goal of restoring national self-determination and curbing the centralization of power in Brussels.
The allies argued that non-governmental organizations, while claiming to promote civil society, operate as instruments of ideological pressure, benefiting from billions in taxpayer money from Brussels. Reforming the NGO system, participants agreed, will require national-level action, legal oversight, and strong right-wing governments.
FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl said NGOs in the EU are “no longer a check on power, but part of it.” He described these organizations as a “controlled opinion industry,” a “re-education program,” and a “political shadow apparatus,” referring to associations and NGOs financed by the state—and taxpayers.
We can expect NGOs to be independent and critically distanced from institutions … But in reality, they are ambassadors for the system in place in Brussels. It is an attack on democracy that costs billions.
Since 2019, Austrian ministries have funneled €4.3 billion to NGOs without substantive oversight. FPÖ Secretary General Michael Schnedlitz has launched investigations into 725 organizations to ensure transparency.
Hungarian MEP Csaba Dömötör presented data on Brussels’ funding network, revealing that the Hungarian government had accessed details on 37,000 contracts totaling €17 billion in funding. “What we are talking about has nothing to do with NGOs whose grassroots lie in civil society. It is the product of Brussels institutions, by the bubble for the bubble. This system must be destroyed because it is against the interests of our citizens,” he stated.
He also cited the Timmermans case: the European Commission faces a criminal complaint for allegedly misusing €7 billion in taxpayer funds, including at least €750 million to climate NGOs to lobby for the Green Deal. This case illustrates how EU institutions can use public funds to bankroll advocacy efforts aimed at influencing elected officials.
Other speakers highlighted similar patterns across Europe. AfD’s Sebastian Münzenmaier noted that demonstrations against opposition governments are organized with EU support, while Polish MP Krystian Kamiński explained that left-wing NGOs receive millions in EU funds, whereas right-wing groups receive none.
The NGOs in Poland that are funded by the European Union are all left-wing. … Right-wing NGOs receive money from common people.
