This op-ed was published in the French daily Le Monde on 9 March 2025.
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Civil society in peril: Europe must respond to the freeze on U.S. aid
The recent freeze on US foreign aid has plunged European civil society into a major crisis. Already weakened by declining national budgets, many organisations defending fundamental rights and the rule of law now find their very survival at risk. If the European Union does not act swiftly, the foundations of our democracies will be at stake.
On 20 January, the US administration suspended all international aid for 90 days. This abrupt decision, which was only marginally contradicted by a court ruling on the disbursement of funds for actions already carried out, jeopardises many organisations that rely on these funds to carry out their missions. It comes at a time when several EU member states are cutting budgets dedicated to solidarity and social justice initiatives.
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights reported in an appeal to the Organisation’s Member States on 20 February that 80% of civil society actors working in Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans have been “directly affected by the USAID freeze, in some cases losing almost all of their funding”. This US withdrawal, combined with the freeze on US funding, are triggering a domino effect that threatens the stability of the entire non-profit sector. Due to the interdependence of funding mechanisms and essential programs for social cohesion, the defence of democratic values has already come to a halt.
80% of civil society actors working in Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans have been directly affected by the USAID freeze, in some cases losing almost all of their funding.
Despite its already visible consequences, the funding crisis affecting civil society remains largely absent from public debate. Discussions have centred on the humanitarian fallout from the US aid freeze—undeniably severe—but this should not let us lose sight of another crucial: the weakening of democratic counterbalances. Democracy is not confined to electoral processes alone. European principles make it clear that civil society is one of the fundamental pillars of a functioning democracy.
A DANGEROUS global trend
Our public and social life is shaped by a network of civic initiatives that enable citizens to actively participate in local affairs, stimulate public debate, and mobilise collectively. These efforts are not incidental; they are an essential source of political legitimacy. The preservation of the rule of law also depends on the existence of independent organisations capable of exposing governmental failures and taking legal action to uphold fundamental rights. Without an active civil society, democracy becomes an empty shell, vulnerable to the relentless erosion of freedoms. Neither formal institutional safeguards nor membership in the European framework alone can prevent such a decline.
Without an active civil society, democracy becomes an empty shell, vulnerable to the relentless erosion of freedoms. Neither formal institutional safeguards nor membership in the European framework alone can prevent such a decline.
Moreover, the weakening of this lifeblood of democracy in Europe would serve as a catalyst for a broader global decline. Across the world, authoritarian forces are gaining ground. They relentlessly attack civil society, seeking to silence it and reshape international relations in ways that undermine human rights principles. If Europe allows this vital network of engaged actors to unravel, it risks accelerating a retreat of its core ideals—freedom, pluralism, and justice—in the emerging global order.
It is now up to Europe to confront the magnitude of this challenge and mount a response worthy of the democratic threat it faces. It must urgently adjust its funding mechanisms to enable affected organisations to continue their work. This requires several concrete measures: easing co-financing requirements, granting greater flexibility in the management of EU-funded projects, and establishing an emergency fund to ensure the continuity of civil society activities.
The danger is immediate and pressing. If nothing is done, the wave of closures we fear will become a reality, with devastating consequences for our democracy. We therefore call on the European Commission and the governments of Member States to act without delay. The future of our freedoms and the rule of law is at stake.
signatories
Mariarosaria Guglielmi, President of European Judges for Democracy and Liberty (MEDEL)
Jeremy McBride, President of the Council of Experts on NGO Law, Council of Europe
Maciej Nowicki, President of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights
Oleg Orlov, Co-Chair of the Human Rights Centre Memorial, Nobel Peace Prize 2022
Pavel Sapelko, representative of the Vesnia Human Rights Centre, Belarus, Nobel Peace Prize 2022
Hugues de Suremain, Legal Director of the European Prison Litigation Network (EPLN)
