Just when Donald Trump had left the Nato summit without blowing it up, and European allies thought they could breathe a sigh of relief, the US President was readying his next grenade.
The US government has announced millions in funding for Maga-aligned groups, think-tanks and non-governmental organisations across Europe, in a naked attempt to redraw the politics and culture of the continent in its own image.
On 13 July, the US State Department called for proposals from European civil society groups that develop “civilisational self-confidence in Europe” through research, conferences and cultural engagements. Successful applicants could receive between $1m and $3m.
Shorts
Applicants must address questions around national sovereignty, migration and censorship – issues central to far-right movements – and which align with what the department called the United States’ “shared political philosophy” and “common Western civilisational heritage”.
