Press Release
Friedrich Naumann Foundation - FNF withdraws from Greece and Cyprus
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom - Greece and Cyprus (FNF), which has been active in Greece since 2012, announces the closure of its Athens office and its total withdrawal from Greece and Cyprus.
The decision, taken by its Board of Directors in November 2023, as part of a strategic repositioning of the Foundation and redirection of its resources to different regions of the world, was driven by the need to strengthen initiatives for freedom and democracy under the shadow of Russian aggression on the European continent and the ongoing war against Ukraine.
The Greek office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom has been active in Greece since the late 1980s. After a brief absence, it returned in 2012, at a critical time for Greece and German-Greek relations. In the last 12 years, the Foundation has supported the organization and implementation of more than 400 educational programs, academic research, scientific conferences and training workshops in more than 30 cities in Greece and abroad. It has collaborated with more than 500 civil society organizations, think tanks, universities, academics, researchers, students, municipalities and independent supporters, and has been an important pillar of support for initiatives in the small but dynamic liberal space in Greece.
FNF's objectives to promote freedom, human rights, pluralist democracy, market economy and the rule of law in Greece and Cyprus, by supporting events, publications, educational and innovative initiatives, through partnerships with civil society organizations, have produced significant results. We hope that the work produced over the years will remain as a legacy for all institutions and citizens who share our values and continue to work towards ensuring freedom, democracy and the rule of law.
Over the years we have contributed significantly and supported in various ways organisations, institutions and individuals in promoting democracy, the rule of law, human rights, freedom of speech and independent journalism, as well as the empowerment of women and the promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship. The road to freedom is a difficult journey that is never fulfilled.
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, is a non-profit organization focusing on civic education, has close ties to the liberal democratic Freie Demokratische Partei (FDP) of Germany and is the largest liberal political foundation in the world, with more than 200 employees promoting the value of freedom in 60 countries around the world.