U.S. State Department Launches Funding Programme for European “MAGA-Aligned” Groups

On July 13, the U.S. State Department issued a request for proposals from European civil-society organisations that would promote “civilisational self-confidence in Europe.” Successful applicants could receive between $1 million and $3 million each. The programme, overseen by under-secretary for public diplomacy Sarah Rogers, is framed as supporting research, conferences and cultural projects that address national sovereignty, migration and perceived censorship—issues identified by the department as central to far-right movements. The State Department asserts that all funded activities will be non-partisan and will not aim to influence any election outcome.

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The funding call follows the U.S. National Security Strategy released earlier in the year, which warned of “civilisational erasure” in Europe due to high immigration and called for “cultivating resistance” to the continent’s liberal trajectory. The strategy echoes themes voiced by Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference, where he criticised European “political correctness” and “illegal immigration.” Analysts note that the programme represents the first concrete implementation of those strategic priorities.

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Sarah Rogers, who leads the initiative, has repeatedly described European liberal policies—such as the EU’s Digital Services Act and the UK’s Online Safety Act—as “tyrannical and absurd,” positioning the funding as a counter-measure to what the U.S. perceives as censorship of free speech.

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European officials have expressed concern that the money could flow to far-right parties. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned, “We do not interfere in American elections. Conversely, I don’t want the American government or government-affiliated institutions to interfere in German elections.” The European Council on Foreign Relations described the trend as a “systemic realignment” of far-right parties into a trans-national movement, raising questions about the adequacy of European responses.

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• “The advertising of the funding calls follows a long period of networking among Maga and like-minded European actors, which have already facilitated the identification of a pool of possible recipients of the planned awards around the priority areas the administration has identified,” — Zsuzsanna Vegh, a political analyst

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• “We do not interfere in American elections. Conversely, I don’t want the American government or government-affiliated institutions to interfere in German elections.” — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz

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• “The point is not swaying elections and altering election outcomes,” — Zsuzsanna Vegh, a political analyst

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