Transnational Activism of Social Movement Organizations: The Effect of European Union Funding on Local Groups in the Czech Republic

Focusing on social movement organizations (SMOs) in the Czech Republic, this articleexplores the level of transnational activism of these actors. Although knowledge exists on domestic interest groups’ choice of EU venues for lobbying, the influence of EU funding onprotest and public campaigning by actors such as SMOs remains under-studied. We showwhat the level of transnationalization of SMOs is, what types of transnational strategies SMOsemploy, and what explains these choices. Specifically, the article examines the effect the EUhas had on Czech SMOs. We are interested in whether EU funding contributed to their de-radicalization and cooptation by the political elite, or rather empowered them to engage intransnational protest. The results of our analysis support the empowerment hypothesis.