By Christian Moos

Concerns about malign influence from hostile states like Russia are completely justified. There have been multiple examples of favourable loans for far-right parties, supervisory board positions for political has-beens, lucrative contracts for dubious entrepreneurs and the funding of alleged NGOs.

Therefore, we do indeed need to be very vigilant in view of the European elections. However, despite making some good recommendations to Member States, the Defence of Democracy package comes far too late. Firstly, the Commission launched the package late. Then, in early summer 2023, it postponed it by more than half a year because the criticism of the legislative proposal that the package was supposed to include was very loud and, above all, unanimous.

However, the package published in December confirmed the worst fears. The proposed directive would stigmatise NGOs that receive funds from governments from non-EU countries, such as the US. The proposal alone serves as a justification for authoritarian governments that use foreign agent laws to try to silence any democratic opposition.

Beyond that, the directive’s definitions are vague and there are enormous loopholes for Moscow’s actual agents. Representatives of organised civil society are wondering why the Commission is not establishing a general transparency register that covers all interest representatives and would be compatible with existing laws at national level and create a clear and secure legal basis for all stakeholders.

The Commission should withdraw this draft directive and take a more comprehensive approach to its successor in 2025 that does not play into the hands of the enemies of democracy.