Soros’ network clearly demonstrates how it is possible to influence the politics of other countries with financial and ideological support from abroad. Especially those whose systems and societies are undergoing change. It is no coincidence that Soros has been making particular efforts in the Central and Eastern European regions, including Poland, wrote Polish publicist Tomasz Rowinski.
“Personally, I do not see anything wrong with organizations looking abroad for funding if they cannot get it here at home,” said Wanda Nowicka, the former leftist Deputy Marshal of the Sejm and founder of the Federation for Women and Family Planning. She only said this after the Polish civil Catholic foundation Ordo Iuris revealed that her 2017 “black marches” were sponsored by foreign feminist organizations with a sum of one million zlotys (around 210,000 euro). Participants of these protests were demonstrating against tightened abortion laws – which the Sejm eventually rejected – as well as for women’s rights all over Poland.
Ordo Iuris found out from public online sources that the “spontaneous” Polish feminist demonstrations were actually funded by gigantic foreign organizations – namely those connected to Soros.
In particular, two feminist organization linked to the American billionaire’s Open Society Foundation (OSF) stood out among the financiers: the Global Fund for Women and the International Women’s Health Coalition. The aforementioned Federation for Women and Family Planning received significant amounts as well. Interestingly, the latter also received substantial amounts from the Norwegian Fund which at the time was controlled by Soros’ Báthory Foundation, established in 1988.
According to Ordo Iuris, the think tank distributed money from the European Economic Area (EEA) and the Norwegian Fund between left-wing and liberal organizations, even though it was technically funds meant for the public. Poland receives this financing through the framework of the international agreement concluded with the EEA in return for opening its market to the countries of the integration. In early 2021, the Polish administrative court ruled in favor of Ordo Iuris in a lawsuit and ordered the Báthory Foundation to disclose the content of its contracts with natural and legal persons regarding the money from the Norwegian Funds. Moreover, the foundation was obliged to reveal, among other things, the names of the beneficiaries, the amount of money awarded and the justification of the grants which it had failed to do for many years, thereby treating the Polish state’s money as if it were its own.
In certain cases, Soros’ people directly intervened. For example, when Agora – publisher of the left-liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza – was in serious financial trouble in 2016, the Media Development Investment Fund funded by the American billionaire swooped in and bought Agora’s five million stocks for 17 million US dollars.
OSF also supports smaller projects and initiatives that represent values in line with Soros’ ideology and that they consider important. One of these is the Stanislaw Brzozowski Society, publisher of the radical leftist Krytyka Polityczna daily. Last year, the society had an income of 5.36 million zloty (1.1 million euro) of which 1.9 million zloty came from the Soros institution.
They also published the Polish translation of Soros’ book, In Defence of Open Society.
In addition, the online weekly, Kultura Liberalna, also enjoys the support of OSF along with the Báthory Foundation and the European Council. Thanks to the Soros institute’s intervening, the weekly organizes debate forums and publishes books in line with their goals.
An interview with Andriej Nosko – which was not intended for the public – that Magyar Nemzet exposed in February and that multiple Polish media platforms reported on, gave a glimpse into the Soros circle’s media support philosophy. Nosko was responsible for supporting European think tanks at OSF. “It is a problem that mainstream media employs too few foreign correspondents. As a consequence, certain situations arise making it very easy to slander Poland and Hungary without real evidence,” said Nosko.
Many foreign journalists turn to individuals in direct connection with OSF for help, and look for experts through them. They in turn recommend colleagues from institutions, think tanks, and media platforms with very similar values.
Will the 92-year-old George Soros manage to “bury” his interference in Polish public life with his ideologies? Rowinski does not think so. As he wrote, you cannot underestimate the sway – to varying degrees – that Soros’ institutional and financial open society powers have over those who act against Polish sovereignty, political and moral traditions and ultimately Polish freedom.
Photo: George Soros (Photo CRedit: Reuters/Lisi Niesner)
