European Union politicians said they are continuing efforts for possible support for Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL) after the US government cut funding to the Prague-based broadcaster, amid concerns that the broadcaster's closure could be a blow to pro-democracy media.
Czech Minister for European Affairs Martin Dvorak told reporters in Brussels on March 18 that several states have supported the initiative so far, but the bloc must act quickly "because it would be a big mistake to let this institution die."
"We need to generate some interest and meet with commissioners and some states. At this point, this initiative has been supported by seven other states, and once we make it public in the General Affairs Council, even more states will join us," Dvorak said, adding that the issue should be resolved "within a few weeks."
Support for the REL has also been expressed by Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, who spoke with Dvorak about this issue.
"I will do everything in my power to support the continued work of REL," she wrote on the social platform X on March 18.
The German Embassy in Kosovo told Radio Free Europe that this media outlet has been a "beacon of free and impartial reporting" for more than seven decades across Europe and beyond.
“As [EU High Representative Kaja] Kallas has highlighted, the EU is currently exploring opportunities to support the important work of REL. This also speaks to REL’s contribution to democracy and the promotion of reliable information worldwide,” the German Embassy in Pristina said.
With the initiative of the Czech Republic for the possibility of supporting REL, at the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the 27 countries of the bloc, held on March 17, this issue was addressed, as the future of REL remains uncertain after the termination of funding by the administration of US President Donald Trump over the weekend.
EU states support REL
While Dvorak did not want to name the countries that have already expressed support for this initiative, diplomatic sources told REL that they are Germany, Austria, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia, the three Baltic states, Poland and the Czech Republic.
“The financial difficulties facing Radio Free Europe seriously endanger independent journalism in regions where the free press is silenced, from Russia and Belarus to Iran and Afghanistan,” wrote Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot in X.
“If the REL disappears, disinformation and propaganda will fill the void. This would be a direct victory for those who seek to undermine democracy... Europe cannot allow this to happen. Protecting a free press means protecting democracy. Access to fact-based reporting is not just a principle, but a necessity for security and fundamental freedoms,” he added.
Meanwhile, after the meeting of EU foreign ministers on March 17, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said that he sensed a "certain interest" from other EU member states regarding his country's initiative and that "it is our responsibility to treat this issue seriously."
The role of REL during the Cold War
Lipavsky's Polish counterpart, Radek Sikorski, also expressed support for REL, recalling how his father listened to this radio along with Voice of America during the Cold War.
"This is how we learned the basic facts about our countries because communist propaganda was controlled," he told reporters. "And these institutions continue to do the same job today for autocracies."
Trump signed an executive order on March 14 that seeks to reduce seven federal agencies – including the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees REL and other federal broadcasters.
The order requires heads of government entities to submit a report confirming full implementation within seven days.
A few hours after the executive order was released, a letter from USAGM said that the Congressionally approved grant that funds REL had been terminated.
REL President Stephen Capus said cutting off the fund would be a "great gift to America's enemies," a sentiment echoed by media rights watchdogs, democracy advocacy groups and politicians.
Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that "the Trump administration's recent efforts to dismantle entities established and funded by Congress, which provide accurate information to hundreds of millions of people in countries where press freedom is under attack, undermines the US commitment to democracy."
"If President Trump achieves his goal, those who depend on independent, US-backed media as alternatives to Chinese and Kremlin media, and those living under authoritarian regimes, will lose a critical resource."
USAGM is an independent agency of the US Government, which oversees the broadcasting of news and information in over 50 languages, to approximately 361 million people each year.
The budget request from USAGM for fiscal year 2025 was $950 million to fund all operations and capital investments.
This includes media outlets such as REL, Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, the Cuba Broadcasting Office (Radio Marti), the Middle East Broadcasting Network, and the Open Technology Fund.
"Sweden has supported the Czech initiative to look at ways in which the EU and its member states can support the REL and its role as a voice of freedom, where it is most needed," said Swedish Minister for EU Affairs Jessica Rosencrantz.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the European People's Party (EPP), the largest parliamentary group in the European Parliament, Marfred Weber, said that the decision to withdraw support for the REL is an example of how the geopolitical situation is changing.
He said that the values that define Europeans are freedom, democracy, the rule of law, equal treatment, the prohibition of discrimination against women, and others.
"With this in mind, I believe that those who promote these values, like REL, should be supported by the EU. We are talking about a budget of about 140 million euros, as much as REL currently has. Therefore, in my opinion, we should seek a serious solution to ensure adequate funding. They are defending the principles that define us," he said in a statement to journalists in Podgorica.
Trump, who has made a series of decisions to reduce government spending since he began his second term in January, had criticized USAGM during his first term regarding its editorial independence and the direction given to its programs.
He has reiterated these concerns since beginning his second term. Supporters of the broadcasters say they are an important branch of American diplomacy./ REL
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