Giving and refusing: the contested reception of transnational philanthropy in the case of the Prague Central European University Foundation

This article uses identification theory to examine transnational philanthropy, focusing on the contested reception of the Prague Central European University (CEU) Foundation, established by George Soros. Through discourse analysis of public media debates, it uncovers key discursive categories that led to the refusal of the philanthropic gift, such as philanthropic giving versus government control and cosmopolitanism versus national interest. The study suggests that the acceptance or rejection of a charitable gift reflects changing societal values and can reveal social and political conflicts.