The octopus like network of the civil society in Romania, the creation of George Soros

The Octopus-like civil society is one of George Soros’s best-known creations in Romania. According to information published by Evenimentul Zilei, several important people who were part of President Klaus Iohannis’ entourage or Cioloş Cabinet have strong ties with controversial billionaire George Soros.

According to several sources, George Soros donated more than $ 200 million between 1990 and 2014, most of them through direct investment. Since 2014, direct investment has been replaced by project-based funding.  “The Romanian Foundation still benefits from Mr Soros’s funds. In 2014 the funding will stop. However, we can always get money from his foundation (Open Society Foundations – n.red.), but only based on projects. We will no longer benefit directly from funds” says Gabriel Petrescu, the Executive Director of the Foundation, at the end of 2013.

The Open Society Foundations, the parent foundation, also funds the Rise Project. “In June 2013, the Open Society Foundations’ Media Program awarded $ 24,900 for a series of training sessions in the field of investigative journalism and data highlighting, as well as a cross-border collaboration project in Central and Eastern Europe and not only “, says the 2013 Rise Project activity report.

Since 1990, George Soros has developed a true network of NGOs with which he seized the new concept of “civil society”, unknown to the Romanians, so he managed to deeply influence the decisions at the government level. Besides the GDS and the Soros Foundation, a number of many other NGOs have mushroomed.

We list only a few of the NGOs that emerged after 1990: the Soros Advising and Placement Center, the Soros Educational Advising Center, the Union for the Reconstruction of Romania, the Center for Partnership for Equality, the Center for Economic Development, Concept, Center for Human Rights – Bucharest, Association for Defense of Human Rights in Romania – Helsinki Committee, Pro Democratia Association, Romanian Academic Society etc. which in turn have created other NGOs.

Soros’s funding to its network of NGOs in Romania has been made either through its financial vehicles abroad, such as the CEE Trust – a parent NGO that has directed money in all the eastern and central European countries where the American tycoon had interests, or through the Soros Foundation, opened in Bucharest, now called the Foundation for the Development of Civil Society. Among the members of these organizations are former ministers, advisors to the presidents of Romania, directors of state institutions, influential journalists. Of particular importance is that three of the four presidents of Romania had counsellors close to Soros network.

One of George Soros’s most famous “creations” in Romania is Nicusor Dan. Alina Mungiu Pippidi, the prominent representative of Soros in Romania, financed the first civic operations of Nicusor Dan, writes evz.ro. Alina Mungiu and her Romanian Academic Society created the Alliance for a Clean Romania. The latter was funded between 2010-2012 by George Soros CEE Trust with large ammounts of money, but also from Norwegian funds. This alliance includes Freedom House (Cristina Guseth), Social Dialogue Group and Nicusor Dan’s Association – Save Bucharest.

The episode that shows most clearly that George Soros is involved in the Bucharest politics has taken place after the tragic accident in the Collective, after which the Ponta Government resigned. To make a new government, Iohannis called the so-called civil society to Cotroceni for consultations. Sandra Pralong, former presidential adviser and first personal representative of George Soros in Romania, invited exclusively representatives of American-funded foundations to talk: Ionuţ Sibian, president of the Civil Society Development Foundation (FDSC), Liviu Mihaiu, president of the ” Save the Danube and Delta “, is a FDSC collaborator and lawyer, Sorin Ionita, president of the” Expert Forum “(EFOR), funded by FDSC, Cristina Guseth, director of Freedom House Romania, a subsidiary of the New York Foundation’s “Freedom House INC” American Foundation, Mihai Dragoş, President of the Youth Council of Romania, is the coordinator of Elena Calistru’s Network for Good Governance Monitor for Good Governance, worked for “Transparency International Romania “, is the president of the Funky Citizens Association, a SAR partner all over the world and Edmond Niculusca, president of the Romanian Association for Culture, Education and Normality, which collaborates with “Spiritual Militia”, another organization financed by CEE TRUST (105,000 USD in the period 2011-2013).

After the formation of the government headed by Dacian Ciolos, there were numerous names on the list of those who got decision-making power at the executive level, having links with the American billionaire.

Sandra Pralong, former presidential advisor – Soros’s first personal representative in Romania.

Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu – former presidential adviser and former head of SIE – funded by Soros through its foundations.

Dacian Cioloş, former Premier – member of Friends of Europe Foundation – funded by Soros.

Cristian Ghinea – former minister of European funds – Romanian Center for European Policies – financed by Soros.

Violeta Alexandru – former minister for social dialogue – ProDemocracy, Public Policies Institute – funded by Soros.

Cristina Guseth – proposed as Justice Minister in Cioloş’s first team and withdrawn after a huge scandal – funded by Soros.

Cătălin Drula – Counselor of former Premier Cioloş, vice president of the Pro Infrastructure Association, who collaborates with the “Alliance for a Clean Romania” (SAR).