Alex Soros: We are not leaving, we are just shifting the focus to Eastern Europe

"News reports that the Open Society Foundations (OSF) and Soros are “leaving Europe” are misleading. We are not leaving" – Alex Soros stated in an op-ed in Politico.

George Soros's son Alex Soros took over the reins of his father's financial empire in June and was also voted president of the OSF. Following the handover, news spread in August that Open Society Foundations would restructure its operations and cease much of its activity in the European Union.

According to Alex Soros, Europe has started shifting to the east, with the Czech Republic and Poland now playing a bigger role, but the war in Ukraine will also have untold consequences in the future. OSF is adapting its priorities and methods of work accordingly. "...yes, we will also be reducing our headcount significantly, seeking to ensure more money goes out to where it’s most needed. But this isn’t any kind of a retreat" – he writes.

Soros also reacted to Balázs Orbán's remarks from two weeks ago. At the time, the Hungarian Prime Minister's political director wrote the following about the news of OSF's withdrawal: he said he would believe it only when "the last Soros soldier has left Europe", and added that in his opinion that was still a long way off. Fidesz also issued a statement saying that "the Soros army will not disappear, it will merely be transformed".

"In a surprise twist, a Hungarian government official got it right when he expressed skepticism about media reports. This isn’t about funding levels — it’s about priorities as the focus of funding shifts back to the Continent’s east" – Alex Soros now replied.

He summarized the primary objectives of OSF as follows:

• They will continue to support Ukraine against Russia.
• They will support their foundations in Moldova and the Western Balkans, as they consider the potential EU membership of the countries in the region to be vital to maintaining stability in the region.
• They will not only continue but also step up their efforts to ensure equal treatment for the 12 million members of the Roma ethnic minority living in Europe.
• "And we remain committed to the Central European University (CEU), which was closed down in Budapest by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán."

Soros also pledged not to abandon their allies who are standing up for democratic rights – in Europe or elsewhere. Related to this, he said that if someone with isolationist and anti-European policies should win the next US presidential election, it would “imperil European unity and undermine the progress achieved on many fronts in response to the war in Ukraine.”

OSF is therefore preparing for all possible scenarios, he said.