Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002791/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Markus Buchheit (ESN)
Numerous EU funding programmes, including Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, and the Cohesion Fund, now systematically include ideological criteria related to ‘diversity,’ ‘gender equality,’ ‘LGBTIQ+ inclusion’, or ‘climate justice.’
These conditions often appear in grant application guidelines, project evaluations, and reporting obligations. While the stated aim is to promote equality and sustainability, in practice they risk discriminating against institutions and applicants who do not adhere to a specific ideological worldview.
Public funds should serve the general interest of all EU citizens, not act as instruments for social re-engineering.
- 1.Can the Commission explain why political and ideological concepts such as ‘gender mainstreaming,’ ‘intersectionality,’ or ‘climate justice’ are increasingly used as evaluation criteria in EU-funded programmes?
- 2.What safeguards exist to ensure that EU citizens, institutions, or associations that do not endorse progressive ideologies are not excluded from funding opportunities?
- 3.How does the Commission justify the use of taxpayers’ money to promote specific ideological agendas instead of maintaining strict political and ideological neutrality in public funding?
Submitted: 9.7.2025