The question sounds absurd, until it isn’t. Across Europe, a growing number of attempts to introduce “foreign agent” laws are turning journalists, NGOs, and human rights defenders into suspects. At the same time, rhetoric around “foreign influence” is gaining ground, casting doubt on the legitimacy of independent media and civil society, forcing them to label themselves in ways that invite public suspicion and erode trust.
The workshop lays bare where these laws come from, how they are spreading across Europe, how they stigmatise critical voices and weaken democratic accountability. Participants will explore concrete examples and ways to prevent or push back against these developments.