International organizations are under constant pressure from the largest non-government organizations (NGOs), including George Soros’ Open Society Foundation, which are using their financial power to achieve political influence. According to the report of the representatives of the European Center for Law and Justice (ECLJ), powerful NGOs are financially supporting the largest international organizations, which has a substantial impact on influencing Europe’s largest political institutions and calls into question their independence. Using its financial might, Soros’ Open Society Foundation has won significant influence in a range of some of the biggest and most powerful institutions in Europe, and even has infiltrated the European Court of Human Rights. The Open Society Foundation is also strongly engaged in financing the Council of Europe, the United Nations and the World Health Organization. The report indicates that the Open Society Foundation has donated more than €1.5 million to the Council of Europe between 2004 and 2013. Powerful corporations have sought influence as well, with Microsoft donating around €950,000 between 2006 and 2014. An inquiry concerning how these funds have been used and the publishing of the documents connecting to the donations was sent to the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers.
This issue does not only concern the Council of Europe. International organizations are under the constant risk of pressure from the side of “philanthropists” who try to use their financial resources to gain political benefit. Since 1984, Soros’s organization has invested $32 billion in the sectors of media, politics and human rights. Soros, in particular, has been known for donating to political organizations for decades. Since 1984, Soros’s organization has invested $32 billion in the sectors of media, politics and human rights. Much of his work began in Central and Eastern Europe, with Hungary one of his first ” testing grounds ” for his model for gaining influence and swaying government policy. The director of the ECLJ, Gregor Puppinck, draws attention to Soros’ power in key institutions, such as the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). In Puppinck’s report he shows that 22 out of the 100 judges which presided in the ECHR between 2009 and 2019 earlier represented or cooperated with NGOs associated with the Open Society Foundation, which his report argues poses a serious conflict of interest, especially when some of these judges ruled in cases in which those same NGOs were involved. The highest ranking EU politicians also do not make much of an effort to hide their close relations with Soros. Among his closest allies are the Deputy President of the European Commission Vera Jourova and the Commissioner for Budget Johannes Hahn. These same politicians have directed a coordinated campaign against conservative governments in Poland and Hungary which have drawn the ire of Soros. Commissioner Hahn had previously publicly spoke about his joint efforts with Soros to “hasten reforms”. He also proposed the establishment of the “25 Fund” which would omit Poland and Hungary’s vetoes concerning the rule of law mechanism. Soros had suggested a similar solution just a few days prior, but through using other treaty tools. The director of Ordo Iuris Karolina Pawłowska stressed that the sums involved in financing the most important international institutions are alarming and lead one to question their independence. “Without transparency in this issue, it is difficult to speak about the fulfillment of the rule of law by these institutions,” she said.
