On Thursday (August 31), the son of Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros dismissed media reports, that suggested that the nefarious Open Society Foundations (OSF) was exiting its operations in Europe.
The development was confirmed by Alexander Soros aka Alex, the heir of his father’s $25 billion enterprise, in an article on Politico. He wrote, “News reports that the Open Society Foundations (OSF) and Soros are “leaving Europe” are misleading. We are not leaving.”
“Europe remains of huge strategic importance to the work of OSF, which began in the 1980s, when my father started funding independent thinkers in his native Hungary, then a Soviet satellite in Communist Eastern Europe. And today, for all its faults, the European Union still stands as a global beacon of the values that shape our work,” Alexander Soros emphasised.
The son of George Soros informed that the Open Society Foundations (OSF) will be shifting its focus to Eastern Europe, influenced by the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia and the rise of Poland as an economic powerhouse.
“So, as OSF retools the way it works globally, we are shifting our priorities in Europe accordingly. Yes, this means we will be exiting some areas of work as we focus on today’s challenges, as well as those we will face tomorrow,” he said.
Alexander Soros added, “And yes, we will also be reducing our headcount significantly, seeking to ensure more money goes out to where it’s most needed,” he added. But this isn’t any kind of a retreat.”
Support for Ukraine’s civil society, Balkans and colour revolution
The son of George Soros conceded that the OSF is supporting the war efforts in Ukraine against Russia through its funding of a ‘network of civil society groups’ to the tune of $250 million (~ ₹2068 crores) since 2014.
“We will not be abandoning allies who stand up for democratic rights in the face of autocrats and would-be dictators — neither in Europe nor the rest of the world. But we need to be ready and able to respond to an uncertain and dangerous future,” Alexander Soros reaffirmed.
This is in line with the textbook approach adopted by George Soros and his Open Society Foundations to influence civil society and ‘distort’ public perspectives across different nations.
Alexander Soros also highlighted that OSF will continue to work to ensure the membership of Moldova and Western Balkans in the European Union, a cause championed by his father in the 1990s.
Alexander Soros worried about anti-war Donald Trump
The son of George Soros also resorted to fear-mongering about the victory of Donald Trump in the 2024 Presidential elections and claimed that such a development would be detrimental to the European Union.
“Such an outcome will imperil European unity and undermine the progress achieved on many fronts in response to the war in Ukraine,” the junior Soros brazened it out. It must be mentioned that Trump had vowed to end the Russia-Ukraine war within a span of 24 hours.
“But there remains more work to be done. And it is my great hope that OSF, in its reconfigured form, will be able to help the European project realize its full promise,” Alexander Soros concluded.
Leftist media lament exit of OSF from Europe
Earlier on August 15, 2023, several leftist media publications claimed that the Open Society Foundations (OSF) was retreating from Europe and lamented that it would somehow affect ‘human rights work.’
“Several beneficiaries of Soros’s Open Society Foundations (OSF), chaired since the start of this year by his son Alex, told the Observer they would struggle without its support amid an authoritarian rollback,” wrote The Guardian.
The Financial Times wrote, “It unnerved political observers and civil society groups that have used funding to counter illiberal policies in central and eastern Europe, including Hungary.”
“Grantees told The Associated Press that a withdrawal of support for human rights, political participation or digital protections in the European Union would be a strategic mistake and questioned whether the foundations had made a final decision to do so,” emphasised ABC News.
Who is Alexander Soros
In June this year, George Soros decided to hand over the reins of his $25 billion business empire to his younger son. The junior Soros identifies as a ‘centre-left thinker’ and has vowed to expand on the ‘liberals aims’ of his father.
The 37-year-old also confirmed that he has the same mindset as George Soros. “We think alike…I am more political,” he emphasised. Alexander Soros is also focused on using the family’s wealth to support leftist politicians and champion the cause of abortion, voting rights and gender equity.
He yields considerable influence in the White House and has met officials of the Biden administration, top Democrat leaders and even Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. Until 2016, Alexander was touted as the ‘playboy son’ of senior Soros, known for hanging out with NBA friends and gorgeous models at his mansion.
All of that changed in the past 7 years so much so that he came to be known as George Soros’ deputy. According to the Wall Street Journal, Alexander Soros is more interested in domestic politics in the United States.
He has been an open critic of Donald Trump. The 37-year-old has indicated that he is willing to use his wealth to keep the ex-US President out of the Oval Office. He reportedly paid $7,00,000 (₹5.76 crore rupees) to the Biden Victory Fund in 2020 and was one of the top donors.
The junior Soros also coughed hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), Nancy Pelosi Victory Fund, State Democratic parties, and individual campaigns.