US excludes French groups from MAGA-aligned grant program
Paris had warned that the program could amount to "foreign interference" in the upcoming presidential election.
In Paris, the U.S. State Department has announced that it will exclude French applicants from a grant program aimed at supporting MAGA-aligned groups. This decision comes after Paris warned against potential interference in next year's French presidential election. The program, which seeks to advance the U.S. administration's political agenda in Europe and combat what it calls democratic backsliding, including "overbroad and vague hate-speech laws," was advertised in the summer following talks with MAGA-aligned think tanks and advocacy groups.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot had previously warned against "foreign interference in [European] electoral processes." The U.S. administration has frequently framed the EU's hate speech laws and election safety measures as threats to free speech and civil rights, as well as supporting Hungary's autocratic former leader Viktor Orbán and pledging support for similar "patriotic European parties."
U.S. Vice President JD Vance has also been a prominent advocate for this position. Despite the State Department spokesperson stating that the program "does not and will not fund political parties, in Europe or elsewhere," the exclusion of French groups has raised concerns about election interference ahead of several key elections in Europe.
Written by urgent.news from Politico EU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
