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Kallasová: EU will support Radio Free Europe with 5.5 million euros

by AI | 21.May 2025 | Europe in brief AI

The station is having problems after the administration of President Donald Trump withdrew funds previously allocated by the American Congress in mid-March.

Journalists at the editorial office of the American foreign radio station Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) in Prague. The station, funded by American resources, has filed a lawsuit against its parent agency in connection with the fight to reduce funding that threatens its existence. Photo: Michael Heitmann/dpa

Brussels – The head of EU diplomacy Kaja Kallas announced on Tuesday that the European Union will release 5.5 million euros (137 million crowns) for the non-governmental organization The European Endowment for Democracy (EED), which will use this funding to support Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). The Czech Republic actively sought support for the funding of the radio station, which is based in Prague. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský appreciated the EU’s decision. The station is facing difficulties after the administration of President Donald Trump withdrew funds previously allocated by the U.S. Congress in mid-March.

According to Kallas, independent media are needed now more than ever. “That is why I am pleased to announce 5.5 million euros for The European Endowment for Democracy, which will support the work of Radio Free Europe,” Kallas said after today’s meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. “This is short-term emergency funding,” she added.

Lipavský described Kallas’s announcement as good news that support for RFE/RL is being found in Europe. All questions regarding finances, such as what the money will be used for or how long it could cover the needs of Free Europe, should now be directed to the EED organization and to the RFE/RL radio station, according to him.

“I don’t even know at what stage exactly that package is now; this is the first announcement, the first swallow,” Lipavský told Czech journalists in Brussels. Additional steps will be needed to ensure long-term funding for the radio station. “We know that the institution, if it is to operate from European funds, must undergo significant changes. And of course, European states must subsequently gain the opportunity to somehow influence the functioning of the institution,” Lipavský added, noting that everything is now a subject of discussion.

The head of Czech diplomacy said before today’s meeting that it is important for European countries to talk about preserving the mission of the RFE/RL station, which is seeking a way to continue its operations. “If we have a media institution that is listened to by ten percent of Russians, Belarusians, and Iranians, then it makes sense for us, for our own security, for our strategic communication,” Lipavský said before today’s EU decision. He also suggested possible funding through the EED, which was created in 2013 by the European Union and its member states. (May 20)