Analysis
Politics
Romania’s Presidential Election: European Alliances vs Authoritarian Drift
14 May 2025
18 December 2024
Civil society in some Central and Eastern European Member States are under pressure from rising authoritarianism, populism, EU funding restrictions and government-imposed hurdles. Experts call for stronger EU funding and strategic support to safeguard democracy and human rights.
Across the Visegrad Four (V4), NGOs face growing challenges, from legal and financial restrictions to political interference. Discussions at the recent Visegrad Insight – Res Publica Foundation seminar highlighted how democratic erosion is part of a broader trend across the region.
In Budapest, discussions highlighted the Hungarian government’s practice of restricting financial support to NGOs aligned with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s policies. Social initiatives critical of the government are excluded from subsidies, including funding from EU-financed programmes such as the European Social Fund and the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).