European Foundation for Democracy

The European Foundation for Democracy (EFD) is a Brussels-based policy centre and registered organisation seeking to influence the lawmaking process of European Union institutions. Its stated areas of work include counter-radicalisation, security, democracy and individual freedoms. Rather than operating as a consumer-facing brand, EFD functions as a research, advocacy and convening organisation: it publishes analyses and policy recommendations, organises public events and policy briefings, and convenes roundtables at which specialists discuss extremist ideologies and other security-related challenges. EFD was founded in November 2005 by Roberta Bonazzi, Nicola Dell’Arciprete and Miguel Papi Boucher. Registration documents were filed with the Belgian Ministry of Justice on 24 May 2006. The organisation was formally registered as an entity seeking to influence EU institutional lawmaking on 15 September 2011. Its work has subsequently covered several connected policy fields, including violent extremism, radicalisation prevention, online and offline narratives, security policy, Iran, Hezbollah, Middle Eastern media, China, Uyghur human-rights issues, Taiwan and Chinese influence in Europe. A significant part of EFD’s activity has been conducted through collaborative European projects. It contributed to PARTICIPATION, a Horizon 2020 project concerning research and preventive design. It also partnered in EUROGUIDE, which developed an online toolkit for first-line practitioners in Belgium, Italy, Hungary, Sweden and the Netherlands, and participated in CICERO, a project developing counter- and alternative-narrative communications intended to prevent radicalisation. EUROGUIDE and CICERO were co-funded through the European Union’s Internal Security Fund. EFD has been described by commentators as occupying a politically conservative or neoconservative policy environment, and it has been characterised by some scholars and critics as a pro-Israel or Islamophobia-related organisation. EFD’s president has rejected the pro-Israel description and said that the organisation does not seek to take a position on the Israel-Palestine question. Critics have nevertheless disputed aspects of EFD’s research and advocacy, particularly publications concerning Muslim civil-society organisations in Austria and Sweden. These allegations are contested assessments by academics and commentators rather than a legal finding establishing wrongdoing. The organisation has advocated adding Hezbollah to the European Union’s terrorist list, restricting broadcasts by Al-Manar and Al-Aqsa TV, and adopting a tougher European response to Iran’s nuclear programme. It has also developed a policy focus on China, including alleged human-rights violations against Uyghurs, relations between China and Taiwan, and Chinese propaganda and misinformation in Europe. EFD has reported support from private and public sources, including United States government funding and donations raised through the Washington, D.C.-based Friends of the European Foundation for Democracy. It has also been described as having organisational and financial ties to the U.S.-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). EFD’s director has stated that the two organisations are legally and financially separate, while explaining that FDD served as a fundraising contact through which some grants were transmitted. EFD remains best understood as a policy advocacy and research organisation whose influence is exercised through publications, expert networks, EU engagement and public debate rather than through commercial products.

The European Foundation for Democracy was created in Brussels in November 2005 by Roberta Bonazzi, Nicola Dell’Arciprete and Miguel Papi Boucher. Belgian Ministry of Justice documents record the organisation’s registration on 24 May 2006. It later became formally registered, on 15 September 2011, as an organisation seeking to influence the lawmaking process of European Union institutions. EFD developed as a policy centre rather than a conventional membership association or commercial enterprise. Its principal methods have been the production of research and policy analysis, engagement with EU decision-makers, public events, expert briefings and roundtable discussions. Its stated mission centres on democratic values, individual freedoms, security and responses to extremist ideologies. The organisation’s work has particularly emphasised radicalisation prevention and the development of policy responses to political and religious extremism. The foundation has participated in multinational European projects. Through PARTICIPATION, funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, it contributed to work on research and preventive design. In EUROGUIDE, it worked with partners on an online resource for practitioners in Belgium, Italy, Hungary, Sweden and the Netherlands who confront radicalisation and polarisation. In CICERO, it participated in the development and implementation of a communication campaign using counter- and alternative narratives to prevent radicalisation. EUROGUIDE and CICERO received co-funding from the EU Internal Security Fund. EFD’s policy portfolio has also included international security and geopolitical issues. It has advocated the European Union’s designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation and called for restrictions on broadcasts by Al-Manar and Al-Aqsa TV. It has held events concerning Iran’s nuclear programme and has addressed China-related issues, including alleged violations of Uyghur rights, Taiwan and the effect of Chinese propaganda and misinformation on European societies. The organisation’s political positioning has generated sustained debate. Some observers have described it as pro-Israel, while EFD’s president has denied that label and stated that the foundation does not seek to intervene in the Israel-Palestine debate. Academics including Sarah Marusek, David Miller, Narzanin Massoumi and Farid Hafez have linked EFD to conservative, neoconservative or Islamophobia-related networks. Hafez has criticised EFD publications concerning Muslim youth organisations in Austria and Sweden, arguing that they contributed to the political pressure placed on those groups. These are critical interpretations of EFD’s activities; the available reference material does not establish a judicial determination that the organisation committed unlawful discrimination. Funding and institutional relationships have also attracted scrutiny. EFD has been described as receiving support from wealthy donors, U.S. government sources and organisations in the United States. A Washington-based Friends of the European Foundation for Democracy was established to raise funds for EFD. The foundation has additionally been linked to the U.S. Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Scholarly accounts have described EFD as an EU offshoot or partner of FDD, whereas EFD representatives have maintained that the organisations are separate in legal and financial terms. Bonazzi explained that FDD acted as a fundraising contact because much of EFD’s fundraising took place in the United States. EFD’s 2018 EU Transparency Register disclosure reportedly listed no funding from national or local and regional sources and categorised its declared budget as coming from other sources. The organisation’s continuing identity is that of a Brussels policy and advocacy centre operating through research, project partnerships, expert convening and engagement with European institutions.

• 2018

  Transparency Register disclosure

  [1]European Foundation for Democracyen.wikipedia.org

  The organisation’s reported EU Transparency Register information listed no national or local and regional funding and classified its budget as coming from other sources.

• 2011

  Registered EU lobbying organisation

  [1]European Foundation for Democracyen.wikipedia.org

  EFD was officially registered on 15 September as an organisation seeking to influence EU institutional lawmaking.

• 2006

  Belgian registration documented

  [1]European Foundation for Democracyen.wikipedia.org

  Documents registering EFD with the Belgian Ministry of Justice were dated 24 May.

• 2005

  Foundation established

  [1]European Foundation for Democracyen.wikipedia.org

  Roberta Bonazzi, Nicola Dell’Arciprete and Miguel Papi Boucher founded the European Foundation for Democracy in November.

Independent policy centre and EU advocacy organisation focused on democracy, individual freedoms, security and counter-radicalisation.

• EU-funded research project

  PARTICIPATION

  A collaborative project to which EFD contributed, focusing on research and preventive design related to radicalisation and extremist threats. It was funded through the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

• Practitioner toolkit

  EUROGUIDE

  A European project in which EFD partnered to develop an online toolkit for first-line practitioners working to counter radicalisation and polarisation in Belgium, Italy, Hungary, Sweden and the Netherlands. The project received Internal Security Fund co-funding.

• Counter-narrative communication project

  CICERO

  A project involving EFD in the design and implementation of a communication campaign using counter- and alternative narratives to help prevent radicalisation. It was co-funded through the European Union’s Internal Security Fund.

• Allegations concerning Islamophobia and Muslim civil-society organisations

  Several academics and commentators have accused EFD of promoting Islamophobic themes and have criticised publications that associated Muslim youth organisations in Austria and Sweden with the Muslim Brotherhood or radical Islamism. EFD’s work has been contested in political and scholarly debate, and the supplied material does not report a court finding establishing unlawful conduct.

  Source

• Debate over ties to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies

  Researchers have characterised EFD as an EU-linked or European offshoot of the U.S.-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies and have pointed to shared donors and funding channels. EFD has stated that the organisations are legally and financially separate, while acknowledging that FDD served as a fundraising intermediary for some grants.

  Source

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• CICERO counter- and alternative-narrative campaign

  European Union

  EFD participated in a communications initiative intended to prevent radicalisation by developing and implementing counter- and alternative narratives.

  Outcome. The project produced a campaign-based approach to preventing radicalisation; a quantified outcome is not specified in the reference material.

  Source
• EUROGUIDE practitioner guidance

  Belgium · Italy · Hungary · Sweden · Netherlands

  EFD worked with project partners to create an online toolkit for practitioners responding to radicalisation and polarisation.

  Outcome. The project delivered a cross-national practitioner resource; further impact data is not specified.

  Source

• Expanded policy focus beyond counter-radicalisationStrategy

  Background

  EFD’s work developed to include European security, Hezbollah, Iran, Middle Eastern broadcasting, China, Uyghur rights, Taiwan and misinformation.

  Action taken

  The organisation used research, advocacy, events and policy engagement to address a broader set of security and geopolitical issues.

  Aftermath

  EFD became a policy platform operating across counter-extremism and international security topics.

  Source

• Advocacy for stronger EU measures against Hezbollah and IranStrategy

  Background

  EFD addressed terrorism designation policy, media broadcasting and Iran’s nuclear programme.

  Action taken

  It advocated adding Hezbollah to the EU terrorist list, restricting Al-Manar and Al-Aqsa TV, and taking a tougher approach to Iran’s nuclear programme.

  Aftermath

  The positions formed part of EFD’s public security and foreign-policy advocacy.

  Source

1. 1European Foundation for Democracyen.wikipedia.org
2. 2European Foundation for Democracy official websiteeuropeandemocracy.eu