Soros Foundation Blames Attacks on 'Illiberal Governments'

While organisations financed or perceived to be linked to US billionaire philanthropist George Soros are increasingly under attack in the Balkans, Open Society Foundations says it is honoured to finance those working to create better lives for people in the region.

"Attacks by illiberal governments on George Soros are an attempt to deflect attention from their own failure to address unemployment, corruption and poor economic prospects," Open Society Foundations' chief communications officer Laura Silber told BIRN.

"Civil society plays an important role in holding governments accountable and making democracies stronger; we are proud to support organizations who work to improve people's lives," Silber added.

The name Soros crops up frequently in Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania and Serbia in campaigns against independent NGOs, journalists and government critics, and in connection with alleged plans to bring down governments and destabilise countries.

Such campaigns are usually, but not only, heard ahead of elections, when activists and journalists are accused of not being patriotic or of not wishing well for their countries.

In Macedonia, the head of the ruling VMRO DPMNE party, Nikola Gruevski, after the December 11 general election issued a direct threat to NGOs that receive funds from abroad, saying his party would "fight for the de-Soros-isation of the country".

In January, the party declared that the "de-Soros-isation" of Macedonia had already begun while Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki told Italy's La Verita media outlet that Soros' activities in Macedonia were viewed as unacceptable.

In Romania, some pro-government voices have accused the leaders of the recent massive street protests...