MCC Brussels calls for establishment of EU DOGE

Press Release 

Following shocking new report about scale of the EU-NGO propaganda complex, MCC Brussels calls for establishment of EU DOGE

Report release: The EU’s propaganda machine: Funding NGOs to promote EU values

A bombshell report reveals the European Commission's brazen misuse of taxpayer funds, funnelling billions into a shadowy network of NGOs and think tanks to promote its own political agenda and silence dissenting voices. This enormous EU-NGO propaganda complex undermines democracy and constitutes a massive betrayal of European citizens.

These findings come hot on the heels of both the scandal surrounding US government funding of worldwide propaganda NGOs via USAID, and also the recent scandal of the EU Commission funding green NGOs to lobby on behalf of the controversial Green Deal. 

In the wake of these revelations, MCC Brussels is calling for the establishment of the “EU Department of Governmental Efficiency (EU DOGE)” modelled after a similar initiative implemented by the Trump administration to root out the extraordinary misuse of funds and blatant funding of propaganda. 

Frank Furedi, executive director of MCC Brussels, said: 

“The EU has amassed an extraordinary propaganda network of NGOs and compliant media, paid for by EU taxpayers, often working directly against the wishes of European citizens. Given the scale of this EU-NGO propaganda complex, we need a body with the power and drive to expose the full scale of this ideological corruption, which is why we are calling for an EU DOGE. We also know that this is merely the tip of the iceberg, as the report only assesses funding through the CERV programme and does not consider the multiple other ways in which the EU funnels money to its pet causes. Only a radical new department with extensive powers would be able to expose the scale of the issue.”

The report demonstrates that the concern with the funding of environmental NGOs is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the EU’s creation of a vast propaganda network. The numerous examples in the report include:

• €250 million to the pro-EU European news network Euronews over ten years
• €270,000 to various NGOs and think tanks in Romania, Bulgaria and Italy – including the Romanian chapter of the US-based nonprofit Freedom House – for a project titled “Whos and hows: countering disinformation that pushes citizens away from the European project.”
• €250 million to the pro-EU Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), a think tank that consistently argues for greater EU integration, over ten years
• €15 million for the European Movement International (EMI), whose President is pro-EU fanatic Guy Verhofstadt, between 2021-2025

Key findings

Massive Funding for Self-Promotion

The European Commission has allocated over €45 billion to "Resilience and Values" with a staggering €1.8 billion specifically earmarked for "Rights and values". The majority of this, €1.5 billion, goes to the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme. For 2025, €236 million was allocated to the CERV program.

NGOs as Propaganda Pawns

The Commission funnels substantial funding to NGOs and think tanks that are explicitly aligned with its vision of deeper European integration. These organizations, financially dependent on the EU, act as conduits for promoting the Commission’s agenda. The European Commission channels substantial funding to NGOs and think tanks to advocate for its policies, blurring the lines between independent civil society and institutional propaganda.

Interference in Domestic Politics

The Commission’s support for local NGOs in member states is used to undermine or attempt to delegitimize democratically elected administrations under the pretext of defending "EU values". This constitutes foreign interference in the internal affairs of sovereign nations.

Weaponization of Civil Society

The report argues that the EU has weaponized civil society organizations, transforming them into instruments of institutional propaganda. The EU-NGO complex creates a self-reinforcing cycle where the Commission funds NGOs, which then lobby for more EU policies and funding, often at the expense of broader democratic accountability. The EU’s funding practices skew public debates and silence alternative perspectives, prioritizing supranational integration over national sovereignty and democratic pluralism.

Lack of Transparency

There are significant transparency gaps in the allocation and oversight of EU funds, raising concerns about the misuse of public money for political agendas rather than genuine civic needs. It is often difficult to track the detailed allocation of funds, especially those that are reallocated through sub-granting or sub-contracting.

Thomas Fazi, the report author said:

"The massive EU-NGO propaganda complex exposed in this report — a central pillar of what can rightly be termed the European deep state — serves as a stark reminder that the greatest threat to democracy in Europe today comes not from external forces, but from within. Rather than upholding democratic values, the EU has systematically leveraged its institutional power to manipulate public discourse, suppress dissent and entrench its supranational agenda at the expense of national sovereignty and democratic accountability. The time has come for Europeans to stand up to the European Commission's growing authoritarian drift".

The details

The Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Program: This program is a significant channel for EU funding of NGOs and think tanks.

• The CERV program has a budget of €1.5 billion, the largest amount ever dedicated to "value promotion".
• €236 million were allocated to the CERV programme for 2025 alone.
• The "EU values" strand of the program makes up almost 50% of the budget.
• Over 3,000 civil society organizations have been supported by the CERV program since only 2021, carrying out over 1,000 projects.
• Top NGO beneficiaries include the EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community (€6 million), the European Network Against Racism (€4.9 million), the European Women’s Lobby (€4.8 million), and others.

Specific Projects as Examples of Pro-EU Propaganda: Several projects funded by CERV are explicitly aimed at promoting the EU and countering euroscepticism:

• "RevivEU" (Eastern Europe) - aimed at combating Eurosceptic narratives. Budget: €645,000 (2023-2024).
• "Blue4EU" (various countries) - aimed at engaging young people "to commit to a European future". Budget: €375,300 (2024-2026).
• "EU TURN 2025" (Germany) - aimed at "de-nationalising European engagement". Budget: €415,000 (2025).
• The European Commission has provided nearly a quarter of a billion euros to the pan-European news network Euronews over the past decade, which is approximately €25 million annually.
• Various NGOs and think tanks in Romania, Bulgaria and Italy – including the Romanian chapter of the US-based non-profit Freedom House – received €270,000 on a project titled “Whos and hows: countering disinformation that pushes citizens away from the European project.” Any message that diminishes trust in the EU is labelled as "disinformation".
• These "counter-disinformation" projects alone cost taxpayers nearly €1 million.

Funding for Pro-EU Organizations: Many organizations explicitly committed to European integration or federalism receive significant funding:

• The Union of European Federalists (UEF), an NGO advocating for a federal European state, received €1.2 million (2022-2025).
• The Young European Federalists (JEF), its youth wing, also received €1.2 million to mobilize young Europeans in support of federalism (2021-2025).
• The European Movement International (EMI), whose President is pro-EU fanatic Guy Verhofstadt received over €15 million (2021-2025).
• Friends of Europe received over €15 million (2014-2024).
• The European Youth Forum received nearly €40 million since 2014 to "deepen European integration".
• The Robert Schuman Foundation received nearly €10 million (2014-2025), including funds to counter "eurosceptic mythology".
• The European Policy Centre (EPC), a rabidly pro-EU think tank, received nearly €30 million over the past decade.
• The Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP) received around €14 million over the same period.
• The Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), a think tank that consistently argues for greater EU integration, received a staggering €250 million over the past decade.

Interference in Member States:

• The EU has channelled significant funds to NGOs in countries like Poland (€38 million) and Hungary (€41 million) through the CERV program, aimed at promoting EU values and, in some cases, undermining the government.
• The Ökotárs Foundation in Hungary, which received a €3.3 million grant from the EU, has been involved in disputes with the Orbán government, accused of being a "local distribution centre" of foreign influence.