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Lipavský seeks support for Radio Free Europe in Brussels

by AI | 17.Mar 2025 | Europe in brief AI

According to information from public sources, the annual budget should be around 142 million dollars per year.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky. Photo: EP_Philippe Buissin

Brussels/Prague – Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský wants to gain political support from his colleagues in Brussels for the continuation of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), whose funding the U.S. government wants to end.

“I think the contribution is great, let’s look at which countries the station broadcasts to. It’s about Russia, Iran, Belarus, and others. Let’s discuss this politically,” said Lipavský. “We also know that the overall budget is an achievable amount for Europe as a whole. For the Czech Republic, it would be beyond our means,” he added. According to public sources, the annual budget should be around 142 million dollars per year (3.3 billion CZK).

The Czech Ministry of the Interior is in contact with representatives of Radio Free Europe, according to spokesperson Hana Malá, and is currently addressing the situation of employees who are not EU citizens and who could lose their jobs if the station’s operations are ended or restricted.

The termination of funding is related to the Friday decision of U.S. President Donald Trump to reduce the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to the legal minimum. He justified the reduction by cutting the federal bureaucratic apparatus.

Lipavský already stated on Saturday evening that silencing RFE/RL and Voice of America, whose operation is to be restricted, would not be a loss only for people living in unfreedom but also for all who believe in democracy. (March 17)