Event from USAID project for interethnic integration in education in North Macedonia, November 24, 2017. Public Domain photo by the Government of Republic of North Macedonia.

The pause in foreign aid imposed by the new US administration has adversely affected  numerous civil society, human rights and independent media projects in the Western Balkans.

While the exact number of affected organizations is hard to estimate, they range in the hundreds. Only a relatively small portion of overall US foreign aid was going to civil society, but in recent years those funds have been crucial in sectors such as media professionalization, human rights, anti-corruption, medial literacy, and anti-disinformation, where no domestic funds have been available.

The Executive Order on Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid issued by US President Donald Trump on January 20, has suspended all projects financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the State Department. It imposed a 90-day evaluation period during which the administration would decide to stop, continue, or modify ongoing projects based on Trump priorities and values.

Other US funds, including those controlled by the Congress, have also been affected. NPR reported that deployment of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) entity in the Treasury Department also froze access to funding for the bi-partisan nonprofit National Endowment for Democracy, leading to the blocking of the work of their grantees, too.

Across the Western Balkans region, the public discourse centered on the ill effects of the freeze on civil society, including gloating and wide smear campaigns by anti-Western actors about the demise of the so-called “mercenaries” and “foreign agents,” as if they are the sole recipients of this aid, while largely ignoring that the bulk of US-funding across Eastern Europe has been used not only for civil society, but for direct support of state institutions and the private sector. 

For many politicians and the mainstream media in the Balkans, the long proud history of USAID assistance in their region, from pioneering disaster assistance after the 1963 Skopje earthquake, to more recent accomplishments such as making Macedonia “the first wireless country” in 2005 seems all but forgotten.

The development of USAID-supported broadband infrastructure explained in this video helped raise the quality of life of Macedonian citizens, boosted its economy and helped raise the country's international profile.

Data on Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia available on the US government website ForeignAsistance.gov indicates that majority of current funds are allocated for critical infrastructure, digitalization and cyber-security, energy sector strengthening, private sector economic growth — including startups and small and medium enterprises, anti-corruption, election integrity, education, local government, youth resilience, as well as culture. 

In North Macedonia for instance, the funding pause affect building of roads or water supply in several municipalities. Kosovo infrastructure is particularly affected by the US freeze, as EU funding has already been frozen since 2023. 

Unlike civil society, which expressed concern, Balkan government officials have so far downplayed the issue of US foreign aid. For instance, the prime minister of North Macedonia Hristijan Mickoski stated that he “doesn't think that state institutions will be affected by this decision by president Trump,” and they will analyze and make conclusions later.

Some populist politicians, whose administrations benefited from USAID assistance in the past, from former Macedonian primer minister and current fugitive from justice Nikola Gruevski to Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić, fully embraced anti-USAID rhetoric, echoing Elon Musk's false claims that it is a criminal organization and celebrating the end of “American money.”

Related disinformation also spread in the region, like false claims and spins about USAID: spending USD 50 million on condoms for Gaza, starting “color revolutions,” and paying celebrities from Hollywood to visit Ukraine.

Suspension of US aid affects independent media

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)  called on all potential European donors to take action to compensate for the US withdrawal, in particular to ensure the survival of Ukrainian media, the network of Belarusian journalists in exile and media programs in Kosovo.

Most independent media outlets in the Western Balkans depend on grants from USAID and other American foundations, due to underdeveloped commercial markets where local financing is conditioned on political ties, while European donors rarely offer support for journalist content production. Mediacenter Sarajevo published an overview of concerns by media professionals in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

Milica Samardžić, executive director of the Umbrella Association, which brings together 13 investigative media outlets, stated that the “suspension of US foreign aid will have serious consequences for the media sector, especially for independent and investigative media that rely on donor funds.”

Samardžić said they will “face the loss of a significant portion of their budget, which could lead to a reduction in activities, the closure of certain editorial offices, or even the complete closure of media outlets.” Тhey warned that “if funds are not found for operational expenses in these three months, we estimate that 64 per cent of the journalists employed in the newsrooms could be left without employment, somewhere around 59 people.”

Mediacenter surveyed outlets from all parts of the country, including the Bosnian Serb entity Republika Srpska, which has been trying to curb civil society based on Russian authoritarian models.

Jelena Jevđenić, the editor-in-chief of Banja Luka-based portal Impuls, explained in a statement for Mediacenter the difficult situation after the announcement of the closure of USAID. In addition to the financial crisis, this, like other media outlets, has also come under attack from right-wingers who are gloating over Trump's decision.

Jer su nas, nevladine organizacije i nezavisne medije, prikazali kao nekog ko zgrće enormne količine novca. Ipak najveće donacije su dobijale i dobijaju institucije. U prvim danima obustave pomoći režimski mediji u RS su već prozivali nezavisne istraživačke medije. To već dovoljno govori u kakvoj nepovoljnom položaju se nalazimo.

Because we, non-governmental organisations and independent media, have been portrayed as someone who amasses enormous amounts of money. However, the largest donations have been and continue to be given to public institutions. In the first days of the suspension of aid, the regime media in RS were already calling out independent investigative media. That speaks volumes about the disadvantageous position we find ourselves in.

Impuls deals with ecology, activism, corruption and marginalized groups. Media covering these issues, as well as outlets  investigative journalism that uncovers corruption, abuse of power, and other social problems.

Mediacenter warned that authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina are not interested in funding independent and investigative media. Grants from governments and local communities are mainly intended for media outlets loyal to the authorities, so independent media rely mostly on donor funds from abroad. Senka Kurt, editor of the portal Interview.ba explained:

Donatorska pomoć je iznimno važna imajući u vidu da naše vlasti javne prihode i budžete koriste za svoje prijatelje, rođake, kumove a ne za nezavisne medije kojima redovno prijete i šalju upute kako trebaju izvještavati.

Donor aid is extremely important, considering that our authorities use public revenues and budgets for their friends, relatives, and supporters, and not for independent media, which they regularly threaten and tell how to do their jobs.

Secretary General of the BH Journalist Association Borka Rudić echoed the fears that the first move of media owners will be to fire journalists and researchers. They advocate forming of national fund to support media pluralism, as well as strengthening of EU funds for the media, which was recently requested by both the European and International Federation of Journalists. But she also added:

No, s obzirom na budžet EU parlamenta i izjave nekih od radikalnih EU parlamentaraca, nisam sigurna da će biti dovoljno novca za nezavisne medije ne samo u BiH već i diljem Evrope.

However, considering the EU Parliament's budget and the statements of some radical EU parliamentarians, I am not sure that there will be enough money for independent media not only in BiH but throughout Europe.

Marginalized communities suffer the blow

In North Macedonia, the Prizma portal reported on February 20 that tens of civil organizations lost large part of their financing, with the freeze severely affecting those working with “marginalized communities that are forgotten by the state,” such as victims of domestic violence.

The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights has already closed their Shelter Center Safe House, that used to provide refuge for LGBTQ+ people banished from their families.

In a statement for Prizma, Slavčo Dimitrov, the director of the organization Coalition Margins stated that they except canceling of most such programs after the period of suspension.

Oсобено ќе бидат скратени оние програми кои што се занимаат со различност, еднаквост и инклузија, кои се специфично таргетирани од администрацијата на Трамп.

In particular [we expect the canceling of] the programs that deal with diversity, equality and inclusion, issues specifically targeted by Trump administration.

The Coalition Margins will have to discontinue a series of their programs providing psychosocial support for women victims of violence and LGBTQ+ people. They are unsure if they would be able to continue to provide legal support for victims of violence in court cases or in dealing with state institutions. During 2024 this organization provided services to 142 victims of domestic and gender-based violence thanks to USAID support.

Coalition Margins also warned that the reduction of funding increases the risk of violence in the context of growing movement against gender equality and rights of LGBTQ+ people, and poses a security threat in particular for transgender people, activists and journalists. Dimitrov concluded:

Згаснување на дел од организациите, значи и губење на јавен глас во демократската сфера кој ќе говори за овие прашања. Просторот кој што полека веќе се испразнува ќе стане простор за ширачите на дезинформации, говор на омраза и ќе биде полесно окупиран од анти-родовите движења.

Extinguishing of part of these organizations means losing of public voices raising these issues in the democratic sphere. The space that is gradually emptied of these voices will be filled with those that disseminate disinformation, hate speech, making it easier to occupy for movements against gender equality.