Is the EU capable of saving free Europe radio after Trump’s financing cuts?
The European Union ministers are discussing ways to maintain the prodemocratic medium to function after the Trump administration has suspended its subsidies during the weekend.
After Radio Europa Livre/Radio Liberdade (RFE/RL) it was Court victim Financing of the Radicals of the Trump administration, the future of the social communication environment is not clear.
RFE/RL began broadcasting during the Cold War and since then has played an important role in the information about Eastern Europe, Central and the Middle East Asia. Its programs are transmitted in 27 languages and 23 countries.
The channel also made a critical coverage of the theme of Ukraine, especially after Russia labeled the voice of America and Radio Europa free of “foreign agents”, adding RF/RL to the list of “unwanted organizations” in 2024.
Two registered brand projects of RF/RL in Ukraine, Crimean realities and realities of Donbas, also provided important sources of information on the territories occupied by Russia.
However, on Friday night, shortly after Congress approved its last government financing law, Trump ordered its administration to reduce the functions of several agencies to the minimum required by law.
Among them, the global media agency of the United States, a government organization funded by the budget that supervises the media such as Voz da América, Radio Europa Livre and Radio Asia, and Radio Marti, which transmits news in Spanish to Cuba.
“The cancellation of the Livre/Radio Freedom Radio Subsidiary Agreement would be a great gift for the enemies of the United States,” said the president and executive director of the Network, Stephen Capus, in a statement to the decision.
Keep free Europe radio in light
The Chequia, who welcomes Radio Europa Livre for 25 years, although his headquarters is in Washington, he is leading the effort to keep the network alive.
The foreign Czech minister, Jan Lipavský, urged the EU to step forward and support RFE/RL. After raising the problem during the meeting of Monday of Foreign Ministers in Brussels, the ministers of the EU governments discussed on Tuesday ways to keep operating RL/RL.
The European Minister of Sweden, Jessica Rozencrantz, insisted on the need to ensure that “free radio Europe remains an important voice for freedom and democracy, especially when it is more necessary.”
“Sweden encourages all countries and the European Commission to analyze what we can do in terms of financing to ensure that we continue to have a strong radio from free Europe,” Jessica Rozencrantz told journalists in Brussels before the meeting.
On Monday, the head of EU foreign policy, Kaja Kallas, recalled the influence of the network on her while growing in Estonia, which was part of the Soviet Union when she was a child.
“It is sad to know that the United States will withdraw its financing,” Kallas told journalists after presiding over a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
“Finding the iron curtain, it was through the radio that we received a lot of information,” he said. “Therefore, it has been a very valuable headlight in this regard.”
But obtaining funds can be difficult.
ADVERTISINGOn whether the EU can “complete the emptiness that the United States leaves,” Kallas said “the answer to this question is not automatic, because we have many organizations that present the same request.”
The commissioner added that “Foreign Ministers have given a great boost to discuss this issue and find a solution.”
