by Patrizio Ricci
“If you remove truth from the foundation of reality, only the opinion of the strongest will remain.”
— Pope Benedict XVI
In recent days, several Italian media outlets — including La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana, Il Giornale, Libero Quotidiano, Tempi, and Pro Vita & Famiglia — have reported a deeply troubling story that casts yet another spotlight on the ideological role played by the European Union in shaping crucial aspects of our society. According to a report by the Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC), published on April 1, 2025, more than €220 million of EU public funds have been spent over the past ten years to finance NGOs connected to the LGBTIQ network, with a particular emphasis on gender identity. Of this, €40 million allegedly went to transgender groups promoting projects that, in some cases, redefine traditional masculinity as a “threat to democracy.”
Let us be clear: this is public money — from European taxpayers — and it has been managed almost exclusively by the European Commission, without the national parliaments being given the opportunity to weigh in. What is being questioned is not just the amount of money spent, but the purpose behind it: supporting a radical ideological agenda that directly affects sensitive areas such as children’s education, legal definitions of sex, access to women-only spaces, and even parents’ freedom to educate.
Under the polished language of noble words — equality, inclusion, rights — lies a top-down cultural revolution. This is not the fruit of open public debate, but of a narrow technocratic elite that decides, with wide discretionary powers, what is right to think, say, and fund.
Opaque Power Disguised as Democracy
Formally speaking, these funds come from official EU programs like the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (REC), now incorporated into the broader Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) program under the 2021–2027 Multiannual Financial Framework. The European Parliament and the Council voted in favor of this general budget. However, the allocation details — who receives what, for which projects, and with what ideological intent — are left almost entirely to the discretion of the Commission.
And this is where the structural weakness of the European Union becomes evident. The Commission — an unelected body — holds enormous political and cultural influence. The European Parliament, although elected, exercises only generic oversight of the budget, with no ability to intervene in individual funding choices. National parliaments are entirely excluded from the process. In other words, while in any functioning democracy the allocation of public funds is subject to parliamentary debate and scrutiny, in the EU entire chapters of expenditure are managed without transparency or real political accountability.
When “Equality” Undermines the Foundations of European Civilization
Today, words like equality, rights, and inclusion have become sacred totems, used as battering rams to impose an anthropological vision that denies the biological and cultural reality of the natural family. This vision, far removed from Europe’s Christian roots, does not seek to coexist with alternative worldviews — it seeks to colonize the public sphere, delegitimizing any dissenting voice as “discriminatory” or “anti-democratic.”
The Commission’s LGBTIQ Strategy 2020–2025 — never voted on by the Parliament, yet a practical guide for funding distribution — actively promotes legal recognition of self-perceived gender identity, the introduction of gender-based educational practices in schools, and restrictive measures against those who express dissenting views, even when motivated by religion. The paradox is clear: in the name of tolerance, freedom is denied.
A Crisis of Political and Cultural Legitimacy
What the MCC report highlights — and what the European Union can no longer ignore — is a deep crisis of democratic legitimacy. This is not about being “against rights,” but about demanding that such radical decisions be subject to voting, debate, and public scrutiny. Today, the Commission operates as a supranational ideological ministry, pushing deep social transformations without any explicit mandate from the European peoples.
If Europe truly wants to be a space of freedom and pluralism, it must radically rethink its institutional design: restore the centrality of national parliaments, limit the executive power of the Commission, and above all, return to respecting the anthropological and cultural foundations that built European civilization. Family, biological reality, educational freedom, and Christian values are not obstacles to overcome — they are pillars to safeguard.
Conclusion: What’s at Stake is the Cultural Sovereignty of Nations
The €220 million allocated to promote an ideological agenda centered on gender identity and LGBTIQ rights is just the tip of the iceberg. The real problem lies in the European model of governance, where unelected powers hold enormous discretionary authority over issues fundamental to the lives of citizens. Unless this drift is corrected, the EU is at risk of becoming a fully post-democratic technocracy, where the people are called only to rubber-stamp decisions made elsewhere.
It is time to break the silence, to reclaim the freedom to educate, to think, and to live according to reason, reality, and truth. Europe does not need more ideology: it needs truth, accountability, and respect for its roots.
Postscript:
The Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) in Brussels is a think tank based in Budapest, known for its conservative views and close ties to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government. The report, titled Mission Creeps: The Emerging Cultural Imperialism of the European Union, was published on April 1, 2025.