MCC Brussels Podcast

MCC Brussels

Discussions, event recordings, and updates from the team at MCC Brussels – the home for genuine policy deliberation about the EU and an in-depth exploration of the key issues facing Europeans.

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20 episodes
Updated Friday

Episodes20

Newest first

Friday · 35 min
The EU Is Regulating Europe Out of the Tech Race I MCC Brussels Deep Dive
Brussels wants Europe to achieve “digital sovereignty”, reducing its dependence on American and Chinese technology. But what if the entire project is based on a dangerous misunderstanding of how technological power actually works? In this MCC Brussels Deep Dive, John O’Brien speaks to Dr Norman Lewis, technology analyst and author of the new MCC Brussels report The Grand Delusion, about why the EU cannot regulate its way to technological power. Lewis argues that no country, not even the United States or China, is truly sovereign across the modern technology stack. Yet Brussels continues to pursue sovereignty through regulation, subsidy programmes and grand industrial strategies, while making it harder for European innovators to compete and scale. The alternative is not isolation, but indispensability. From the failure of France’s Minitel model to the extraordinary strategic power of ASML, Lewis explains why Europe should stop trying to control the entire digital ecosystem and start building technological capabilities the rest of the world cannot do without. Can Europe still become a serious technological power, or is Brussels regulating the continent out of the race? Rea the report here: https://brussels.mcc.hu/publication/the-grand-delusion-the-european-union-and-digital-sovereignty
July 24 · 36 min
Dutch Communities Fight Back Against Asylum Centres I MCC Brussels Podcast
Host Jacob Reynolds is joined by Richard Schenk and Daniel de Liever, editor at the Dutch news and commentary platform NieuwRechts. First, the panel turns to the growing revolt against asylum centres in the Netherlands. After scandals surrounding the huge centralised cetnre in Ter Apel, smaller centres are now being imposed on unwilling municipalities. Daniel explains how pressure on Ter Apel became the justification for spreading asylum seekers across the country, why local election promises have proved powerless and why public frustration is becoming increasingly difficult to contain. The second topic is the resignation of Jens Spahn, leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, after he and his husband used a surrogate in the United States. The panel discusses the charge of hypocrisy, Germany’s ban on surrogacy and the EU’s attempt to make cross-border parenthood arrangements binding across member states. Finally, the episode turns to Donald Trump’s proposed UN declaration on freedom of speech. Is it a useful challenge to Europe’s speech controls, or another attempt to settle national political questions through international institutions? The discussion ranges from the Digital Services Act and the Democracy Shield to media regulation and the economic cost of Europe’s regulatory state.
July 17 · 38 min
Why does the EU want to ban young people from the internet? I MCC Brussels Podcast
In this episode, host Jacob Reynolds is joined by MCC Brussels research fellow Richard Schenk and French MEP Virginie Joron to examine how Europe’s ruling class uses child protection, the rule of law and procedural trickery to expand its control over citizens and political opponents. First, the panel turns to Ursula von der Leyen’s proposed social-media restrictions. The official justification is child safety. The likely consequence is that every European internet user may be forced to prove his identity using official documents, biometric checks or the EU Digital Identity Wallet. A policy sold as protecting children could become the foundation of an identity-controlled internet in which anonymity disappears and political speech is monitored by regulators and compliant technology giants. Next, the discussion moves to Hungary, where Péter Magyar’s new government claims to be liberating the country from Viktor Orbán’s legacy. Its methods look rather less democratic. The president has been removed, senior judges forced out and constitutional rules rewritten to sideline political opponents. Brussels, naturally, hails this as reform. Would the Commission applaud the same methods if they were used by a conservative government, or has the rule of law simply come to mean rule by politicians approved in Brussels? Finally, the panel examines the resurrection of Chat Control. More MEPs voted against the measure than for it, yet it survived through procedural manoeuvring and the peculiar arithmetic of the European Parliament. The temporary regime permitting providers to scan private communications will now remain in force until April 2028. Across all three stories, the pattern is unmistakable: Brussels is tightening its grip on the political narrative. Child protection, the rule of law and democratic safeguards are invoked as noble pretexts, while power shifts towards institutions determined to decide which voices are legitimate, which opinions are dangerous and which political forces may govern. Follow MCC Brussels on social media: https://twitter.com/MCC_Brussels https://facebook.com/MCCBrussels https://linkedin.com/company/mcc-brussels/ website: https://brussels.mcc.hu
July 10 · 30 min
France Wants Marine Le Pen on a Leash I MCC Brussels Podcast
In this episode host Jacob Reynolds is joined by MCC Brussels research fellow Richard Schenk and Carl Deconinck of Brussels Signal to discuss the growing struggle over democracy, surveillance and political opposition in Europe. First, the panel turns to Marine Le Pen and the French presidential race. With Le Pen again able to contemplate a 2027 run but facing the extraordinary prospect of campaigning under an electronic ankle monitor, Carl and Richard ask whether France is witnessing neutral justice or a political system using the law selectively against its strongest challenger. The second topic is the EU’s revived push for “chat control”. Presented under the emotionally powerful banner of child safety, the proposal would allow private communications to be scanned on a vast scale. The panel asks whether child protection is being used as a form of moral blackmail: a way of making opposition to surveillance appear suspect, while Brussels builds the infrastructure for unprecedented intrusion into private correspondence. Finally, the episode turns to the campaign against the AfD. After efforts to blockade its party conference, attacks on journalists and a broader system of political exclusion inside Germany, the pressure is now extending to Brussels. The panel examines attempts to exclude the Europe of Sovereign Nations party, in which the AfD is the dominant force, from the normal rights and funding available to European political parties. Is the so-called firewall becoming a continent-wide mechanism for deciding which voters and parties are allowed full participation in democratic life?
July 8 · 24 min
Europe’s War on the Car I MCC Brussels Deep Dive
For more than a century, the car has expanded personal freedom, economic opportunity and independence. Yet across Europe, policymakers increasingly treat driving itself as a problem to be managed away. In this MCC Brussels Deep Dive, John O’Brien speaks to Brussels lobbyist Conor Allen about Europe’s growing hostility to the car, from traffic policies designed to discourage driving to the regulatory push for electric vehicles. Allen argues that too much transport policy is now driven by political goals rather than consumer choice. The result, he says, is a system that punishes drivers, sidelines industry, weakens Europe’s carmakers and leaves the continent more dependent on China. This is not simply a debate about cleaner transport. It is about an EU policy class that increasingly treats the driver as a problem, consumer choice as an obstacle and the car as something to be regulated out of ordinary life. The result is less freedom, weaker industry and a continent making itself poorer in the name of political dogma
July 3 · 30 min
Aircon: the new political divide? I MCC Brussels Podcast
In this episode, why has air conditioning suddenly become a political dividing line in Europe? Will Ireland’s EU presidency push Brussels further into NGO funding, speech regulation and woke priorities? And is the crisis at Volkswagen a warning of what the Green Deal is doing to Europe’s industrial base? Host Jacob Reynolds is joined by Richard Schenk and James Holland, a parliamentary adviser and long-time Brussels observer, to discuss the week’s biggest political stories from inside the EU bubble. First, the panel turns to Europe’s increasingly absurd air-conditioning debate. As temperatures rise across the continent, the simple question of whether people should be able to cool their homes, hospitals and workplaces has somehow become a culture-war issue. Richard Schenk argues that the obsession with net zero is crowding out practical solutions for the elderly, the sick and those who have to work through the heat. James Holland warns against Brussels using the crisis as yet another excuse to regulate what should be decided nationally and locally. The second topic is Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union. Ireland has long been seen in Brussels as the model pupil, rarely inclined to pick fights with the Commission. But with major budget negotiations ahead, the panel asks whether Dublin will defend its farmers and tax advantages, or simply help steer through more funding for NGOs, media projects and democracy programmes that too often reinforce Brussels’ own worldview. Finally, the episode turns to Europe’s car industry. With fresh alarm over Volkswagen and the wider German economy, the panel examines how the EU’s hostility to combustion engines, high energy costs and green dogma are putting one of Europe’s most important industries under pressure. James Holland explains how Brussels regulation often rewards big players while crushing smaller suppliers, while Richard Schenk argues that Europe has trapped itself in a one-track electric-vehicle strategy just as competitors pursue a broader industrial approach.
June 26 · 36 min
Brussels Is Expanding Its War on Free Speech I MCC Brussels Podcast
In this episode: Is the Democracy Shield really about protecting elections from foreign interference, or about policing dissent at home? Ten years after Brexit, did the EU learn from Britain’s revolt, or double down on the federalist habits that caused it? And why is Brussels talking to the Taliban - realpolitik at last, or geopolitical naivety dressed up as diplomacy? Host Jacob Reynolds is joined by Frank Furedi, MCC Brussels’ executive director, and Dr Philipp Siegert, our deputy research director, to discuss free speech, sovereignty, Brexit, migration, and the increasingly brittle politics of the Brussels establishment. First, the panel turns to the EU’s Democracy Shield, after a European Parliament committee backed proposals to strengthen the bloc’s powers over disinformation, media, elections and so-called internal threats. Philipp Siegert argues that the danger lies in moving from protecting democratic processes to managing political outcomes. Frank Furedi warns that the language of democratic protection is being used to justify a new kind of censorship - one that presents itself as the very opposite of censorship. The second topic is Brexit, ten years after the vote that shook Britain and Brussels alike. Frank argues that 2016 marked a turning point in European politics, exposing the weakness of legacy parties and giving new force to questions of sovereignty, patriotism and democratic self-government. The panel asks whether the EU learnt anything from Brexit, or whether its real lesson was to prevent voters from ever doing something similar again. Finally, the episode turns to Brussels hosting Taliban representatives for talks on returning Afghan migrants. The panel discusses the need for realpolitik in foreign affairs, but also the risks of giving international legitimacy to a regime that remains deeply hostile to European values and interests Follow MCC Brussels on social media: https://twitter.com/MCC_Brussels https://facebook.com/MCCBrussels https://linkedin.com/company/mcc-brussels/ website: https://brussels.mcc.hu
June 19 · 26 min
Hungary’s New Government Launches Its Anti-Orbán Purge I MCC Brussels Podcast
In this episode: is Péter Magyar restoring Hungarian democracy, or using constitutional power to remove his main rival? Does the export controls and shutdown of Anthropic’s Mythos model show how desperately far behind the EU is on cutting-edge technology? And has the EU Transparency Register become a neutral accountability tool, or a bureaucratic weapon against dissenting voices in Brussels? Host Jacob Reynolds is joined by Richard Schenk and Javier Villamor, Brussels-based EU/NATO correspondent for The European Conservative. First, the panel turns to Hungary, where the new Tisza government has pushed through a retroactive two-term limit on prime ministers. Supporters call it a democratic safeguard after years of Fidesz rule. Critics see it as Lex Orbán: a constitutional manoeuvre designed to keep Viktor Orbán from returning to power, while also putting pressure on institutions linked to the previous government. The second topic is artificial intelligence. The row over Anthropic’s Mythos model raises a brutal question for Europe: what happens when the most powerful AI systems are controlled elsewhere? Jacob, Richard and Javier discuss whether the EU has spent the past three years regulating a technology it does not lead, and whether Europe’s real problem is not just investment, but energy, chips, talent, scale and regulatory culture. Finally, the episode turns to MCC Brussels itself, after its suspension from the EU Transparency Register. The panel asks whether this is merely a technical dispute over registration rules, or part of a broader pattern in which Brussels uses procedure, paperwork and access rules to police the boundaries of acceptable debate.
June 17 · 35 min
Europe’s Energy Delusion: Can Brussels Keep the Lights On? I MCC Brussels Deep Dive
In this MCC Brussels Deep Dive, John O’Brien speaks to Professor Samuele Furfari, one of Europe’s most experienced voices on energy policy. Furfari spent decades inside the European Commission working on energy and sustainable development. His warning is blunt: Europe’s energy crisis did not begin with the war in Ukraine. It began when EU policymakers abandoned the old priority of cheap, abundant and secure energy, and replaced it with a decarbonisation-first agenda. For decades, European energy policy understood a basic truth: prosperity depends on power. Industry, jobs, living standards and national security all require reliable and affordable energy. But according to Furfari, Brussels has increasingly treated energy not as the foundation of growth, but as a problem to be reduced, regulated and morally denounced. John and Professor Furfari discuss how this mentality took hold, why Europe has become so vulnerable, and whether the EU has learnt the wrong lesson from the energy shocks of recent years. This is a conversation about more than bills. It is about prosperity, sovereignty, industry and whether Europe still has the seriousness to keep the lights on.
June 12 · 34 min
Riots, Migration and Crime: Belgium’s Crisis Is a Warning to Europe I MCC Brussels Podcast
In this episode, is Belgium becoming a warning sign for the rest of Europe? Has the EU’s obsession with digital regulation made Europeans technologically weaker? And are American conservatives right to call out Europe’s migration crisis, or is Europe being talked down to again? Host Jacob Reynolds is joined by MCC’s Richard Schenk and Lennert Van Hauwermeiren from the Flemish Institute for Policy and Strategy to discuss migration, state authority, digital control and the growing tensions between Europe and America. First, the panel turns to Belgium, where riots in Brussels, unrest on the coast, migrant-smuggling routes and concerns about policing raise a blunt question: can the Belgian state still enforce the law? Lennert argues that Europe’s liberal elites have become reluctant to use legitimate force, while Richard places Belgium’s problems in the wider context of political fragmentation, identity politics and the weakening of state authority. The second topic is the EU’s latest push for “digital sovereignty”. As Apple’s new Siri features are held back in the EU, the panel asks whether Brussels is building a serious tech future or simply regulating Europe into irrelevance. Richard and Lennert discuss the AI Act, the Digital Markets Act, the Digital Services Act and the EU’s habit of confusing control with innovation. Finally, the episode turns to Pete Hegseth’s D-Day speech and his criticism of Europe’s migration policy. The panel considers whether American conservatives are right to raise the alarm, whether European countries need their own solutions, and why Europe must separate shared civilisation questions from national interests.
June 5 · 33 min
The End of the Western Alliance? I MCC Brussels Podcast
In this episode: Is Trump’s 4 July deadline a tariff threat, or a demand for reciprocity from Brussels? Can “remigration” be defined as lawful return policy without sliding into something more dangerous? And do the Paris riots after PSG’s Champions League victory expose a deeper crisis of law, order and elite denial in Europe’s cities? Host Jacob Reynolds is joined by Richard Schenk and Paul McCarthy, Senior Research Fellow in European Affairs at the Heritage Foundation. First, the panel turns to the latest tensions in EU-US relations. Trump’s deadline for Brussels to implement the trade deal has put pressure back on the European Union, but the argument goes well beyond tariffs. Paul McCarthy explains how Washington sees Europe’s non-tariff barriers, defence dependency and digital regulations, while Richard Schenk argues that Brussels’ regulatory machine is damaging European business and deepening the transatlantic divide. The second topic is remigration. After a week of new initiatives and debate on the European right, Jacob, Richard and Paul discuss what the term actually means, where legitimate deportation policy ends, and why migration politics in Europe has become so explosive. They examine the difference between illegal migration, legal migration, naturalisation and criminal deportations, and ask whether European governments have created a system in which return has become almost impossible. Finally, the episode turns to the riots in Paris and elsewhere in France after PSG’s Champions League win. The panel discusses the collapse of law and order, the disconnect between official messaging and citizens’ experience, and whether European elites are willing to describe the reality of disorder in their own cities.
May 29 · 33 min
Can Belgium Be Fixed? I MCC Brussels Podcast
In this episode: is Bart de Wever’s Belgium a genuine model for reform, or a warning about how difficult reform has become? Has Europe really shifted right on migration, deportations and return hubs? And as Brussels demands more money for defence, Ukraine, migration and industrial policy, who is actually going to pay? Host John O’Brien is joined by Dr Philipp Siegert from MCC Brussels and Carl Deconinck of Brussels Signal to discuss the political pressures now shaping Belgium and the wider European Union. First, the panel turns to Belgium, where Bart de Wever’s government is trying to tackle fiscal strain, migration pressure, nuclear energy, defence spending, pensions and trade-union resistance all at once. Belgium becomes the test case for a wider European problem: voters want change, but the institutions built over decades are not easily moved. The second topic is Europe’s migration U-turn. From return hubs to tougher deportation policies and pressure on human-rights law, the panel asks whether the political centre has genuinely accepted the need for stricter borders, or is merely trying to neutralise populist pressure while keeping the old assumptions intact. Finally, the episode turns to the EU budget and the looming fight over common debt, eurobonds and Brussels’ growing spending ambitions. With Germany, France and other member states under serious fiscal pressure, the question is whether the EU is becoming a geopolitical power — or a permanent money machine.
May 22 · 33 min
Why The Establishment Fears Populism
Britain’s political class thought populism could be contained through censorship, speaker bans and moral blackmail. Instead, the revolt is spreading. In this episode, host John O’Brien is joined by Frank Furedi and Richard Schenk to examine the growing divide between Europe’s governing elites and ordinary citizens. From the huge “Unite the Kingdom” rally in London to Brussels’ ideological campaigns, the discussion explores why millions of Europeans increasingly feel politically homeless. First, the panel discusses Britain’s populist revolt and the collapse of establishment authority. Why are governments so terrified of anti-establishment movements? Has censorship, “disinformation” policing and the cordon sanitaire simply made populism stronger? And is Britain drifting back under Brussels’ influence despite Brexit? The conversation then turns to Europe’s growing divide over Israel. As countries like Spain and Ireland push for a harsher anti-Israel line, Central European states increasingly see the conflict through the lens of borders, terrorism and civilisational security. Finally, the discussion tackles the European Commission’s increasingly aggressive promotion of LGBTQ and gender ideology. Why do so many Europeans feel these values are being imposed from above rather than democratically debated? Has “tolerance” become a mechanism for ideological conformity? And why are parents across Europe increasingly feeling sidelined in debates about education, identity and culture?
May 15 · 27 min
The Brexit Revolt Is Back I MCC Brussels Podcast
In this episode: Has Reform UK’s surge shattered Britain’s old Labour-Conservative order? Are the UN and EU using migration policy to weaken national control over borders? And has Eurovision become yet another stage for anti-Israel politics? Host Jacob Reynolds is joined by Richard Schenk and Barbara Bonte, MEP for Vlaams Belang in the Patriots for Europe group. First, the panel turns to the local and regional elections in the UK, where Reform UK’s breakthrough has thrown Keir Starmer and the Labour Party into turmoil. Richard argues that Reform’s success at local level matters because local politics is usually the hardest terrain for new populist parties. Barbara places the result in a wider European context, arguing that voters are turning against mass migration, political arrogance, and parties that no longer listen. The second topic is the UN’s migration agenda, after the United States pulled back from a proposed migration compact. The discussion examines the role of international organisations, the so-called Marrakesh Pact, the EU Migration Pact, and the pressure placed on nation states to accept more migration while presenting it as inevitable, technical, or humanitarian. Finally, the episode turns to Eurovision, where Israel’s participation has once again provoked boycotts, protests, and political rows. Richard and Barbara discuss how a cultural contest has become another arena for political grandstanding, anti-Israel activism, and elite attempts to manage public sentiment when voters refuse to behave as expected. A conversation about populism, borders, democracy, and the strange spectacle of institutions that seem increasingly afraid of the public. 00:00 Intro 02:20 Reform’s Local Election Breakthrough 08:44 Britain Bans European Politicians 12:38 The UN’s Migration Agenda 18:08 Eurovision’s Israel Row 24:06 Europe’s Anti-Israel Obsession Follow MCC Brussels on social media: https://twitter.com/MCC_Brussels https://facebook.com/MCCBrussels https://linkedin.com/company/mcc-brussels/ website: https://brussels.mcc.hu
May 8 · 36 min
Germany Is Becoming Ungovernable I MCC Brussels Podcast
Germany’s governing centre is cracking, Europe’s energy follies are becoming impossible to ignore, and Brussels is spending millions telling citizens it protects democracy. In this episode, we ask whether Friedrich Merz survive Germany’s deepening political and economic crisis. Is Belgium’s nuclear U-turn a sign that common sense is finally returning to European energy policy? And what does the EU’s “Protect What Matters” campaign reveal about the widening gap between Brussels’ rhetoric and its record? Host Jacob Reynolds is joined by Pieter Cleppe, editor-in-chief of Brussels Report, and Richard Schenk of MCC Brussels, for a discussion about political instability, energy realism and the increasingly propagandistic habits of the European Commission. First, the group turn to Germany, where Friedrich Merz finds himself trapped by the very firewall politics that were supposed to preserve stability. Despite a right-wing parliamentary majority after the federal elections, the CDU/CSU remains bound to the Social Democrats, giving a defeated centre-left extraordinary leverage over the government’s agenda. The discussion explores Germany’s stagnant economy, rising debt pressures, high energy costs, military spending promises, the growing strength of the AfD, and the wider question of whether Europe’s most important country is becoming ungovernable. The second topic is Belgium’s nuclear reversal. After years of political hostility to nuclear power, the government is now trying to halt the shutdown of existing reactors and preserve vital energy capacity. Pieter and Richard examine why this matters far beyond Belgium: cheap and abundant energy is the foundation of industrial strength, and Europe’s decision to undermine nuclear power, domestic fossil fuels and reliable electricity has left companies facing higher costs and weaker competitiveness. The panel asks whether Belgium’s decision marks the beginning of a more realistic energy debate, or merely a small correction after years of self-inflicted damage. Finally, the episode turns to the European Commission’s new “Protect What Matters” campaign. Presented as a defence of democracy, free speech and civic life, the campaign comes from an institution increasingly associated with speech regulation, media management, selective access for journalists and a taste for moral instruction from above. The panel discusses the hypocrisy of Brussels advertising itself as the guardian of democratic freedoms while pushing laws and practices that narrow the space for open debate. A conversation about Germany’s political paralysis, Europe’s energy reckoning, and the strange spectacle of an EU elite trying to advertise its way out of a democratic crisis.
May 1 · 24 min
Can Anyone Stop the EU Commission? I MCC Brussels Podcast
The European Commission has mutated from a body of cooperation into a monster that even its own founders no longer recognise. Host Jacob Reynolds is joined by Carl Deconinck of the Brussels Signal and MCC Brussels’ Richard Schenk to discuss a week of institutional overreach in the European capital. They break down the flurry of proposals to rein in Ursula von der Leyen, the prospect of "climate lockdowns" as energy prices soar, and the plans for an eye-watering €2 trillion EU budget. Taming the Commission. The European Commission has mutated from a practical body of cooperation into an over-reaching, activist bureaucracy. With even the German CDU turning on their own nominee, we ask if Ursula von der Leyen’s "dictatorial" grip can ever be broken, or if the EU’s institutional DNA is permanently coded for sovereign destruction. The Energy Crunch & Climate Lockdowns. As geopolitical tensions flare, Brussels’ only answer to the energy crisis is: "do less." We dive into the ideological de-growth movement that has captured the EU, where "cheap energy" is defined as the energy you aren't allowed to use, and summer holidays are sacrificed at the altar of Net Zero. The €2 Trillion Budget Grab. Broke, desperate, and undemocratic, the EU is eyeing "own funds” - the power to levy taxes directly. From taxing plastic bags to funding a €400 million NGO "propaganda" army via the Agora programme, Brussels is moving to bypass national governments and treat the continent as its private fiefdom.
April 24 · 38 min
Child access to trans ideology: The EU’s new “right"
The European Court of Justice has issued a first-of-its-kind ruling against Hungary, declaring its child-protection laws in breach of “fundamental EU values”. Celebrated in Brussels as progress, it raises a more troubling question: has the Court just claimed the power to define Europe’s moral compas? In this episode, Jacob Reynolds, Richard Schenk, and special guest Stephen Bartulica MEP break down the ECJ’s judicial activism, the "pro-Russia" panic over the Bulgarian elections, and the mass amnesty plans in Spain that threaten the stability of the Schengen area. Inside this Episode: The ECJ’s Judicial Coup: We dissect the long-awaited ruling against Hungary’s child protection laws. This isn't just about social policy, but a fundamental shift in power where unelected judges, rather than national parliaments decide what "European values" mean. The Bulgarian "Panic": Following a period of intense political instability, Bulgaria has elected a leader the EU brands as "pro-Russian". We look past the labels to see a pragmatic pushback against the Brussels elite that prioritize moral posturing over the day-to-day economic interests of citizens. Spain’s Mass Amnesty Madness: Pedro Sanchez’s government has moved to legalize up to 500,000 undocumented migrants. In this discussion we oversee how radical identity politics is replacing traditional social democracy and what this means for the future of European borders. Digital Tyranny & Age Verification: The EU is pushing new infrastructure under the guise of child protection. We expose the "sinister strategy" behind these tools: a centralized system designed to control the narrative, censor dissent, and marginalize conservative voices on social media. 00:00 Intro 02:22 The ECJ’s Attack on Hungary 09:21 Bulgaria’s Election: Pragmation vs. Posturing 14:55 Two-Speed Europe: The Integration Trap 20:52 The Age Verification App: Control or Protection? 33:05 Spain’s Amnesty: A Disaster for Europe Follow MCC Brussels on social media: https://twitter.com/MCC_Brussels https://facebook.com/MCCBrussels https://linkedin.com/company/mcc-brussels/ website: https://brussels.mcc.hu
April 17 · 28 min
The EU’s plans for Hungary after Orbán I MCC Brussels Podcast
Viktor Orbán’s 16-year tenure with a landslide victory. While the Berlaymont and the European mainstream celebrate the fall of their favourite villain, the MCC Brussels team digs into the uncomfortable reality of what this means for the European Right and the future of national sovereignty. In this episode, Jacob Reynolds, Tony Gilland, and Agnieszka Kolek break down the strategic lessons of the Fidesz defeat, the "Net Zero" fuel insurgency currently paralysing Ireland, and the Poland’s magical dismissal of the rule of law. Inside this Episode: The Hungarian Landslide: We digest the shock result in Budapest. While Orbán lost , the populist moment is far from over - provided the Right learns that you cannot simply play to your base while ignoring the concerns of the youth. Ireland’s Fuel Insurgency: The Irish government placed the army on standby to clear blockades at the Whitegate refinery, we look at the growing chasm in Irish society. When ordinary truckers and farmers revolt against crushing carbon taxes, the establishment responds not with dialogue, but with smears and military threats. The Polish "Seance": Donald Tusk’s government has reached a new level of farcical governance, swearing in Constitutional Tribunal judges in the "presence" of a President who wasn't actually there. Agnieszka Kolek explains why this bizarre legal performance is a dangerous blueprint for bypassing democratic checks and balances in the name of "restoring" the rule of law.
April 10 · 31 min
How Patriots Forced Deportations Back onto the EU Agenda I MCC Brussels Podcast
Brussels does not change course lightly. When it does, it is usually forced. This week, something shifted. Jacob Reynolds is joined by Marieke Ehlers MEP and Agnieszka Kołek to dissect a rare moment where the European Parliament moved in a direction voters have been demanding for years. A tougher return regime has been backed, giving member states the tools to send illegal migrants back and reassert some control over their borders. The Return Regime Breakthrough On migration, something has clearly moved. After years of paralysis, the European Parliament has backed a tougher returns regime, handing member states sharper tools to send illegal migrants back and greater latitude in how they do it. The old majority cracked. The much-invoked “cordon sanitaire” was, for once, brushed aside. For voters long told that nothing could be done, it looks like a breakthrough. Whether governments will actually act on it is another matter. The Digital Cordon Tightens While borders may be hardening on paper, control is expanding elsewhere. Under the banner of safety and election integrity, digital regulation is becoming more aggressive and more opaque. Platforms are pushed to police speech in an environment where the rules remain deliberately unclear. The result is predictable. Overcompliance, quiet removals, and a narrowing of what can be said in the public square, especially around elections. Foreign Policy and the Power Grab At the same time, the institutional push to scrap national vetoes in foreign policy is gathering pace. It is presented as a technical fix, a way to make Europe act faster. In reality, it risks stripping smaller states of their ability to defend their own interests and handing more power to central institutions that face little direct accountability. The debate is no longer abstract. 00:00 Intro 01:45 Migration shift in Brussels 03:20 The return regime that changes everything 06:00 The coalition that broke the system 11:00 Why enforcement still matters 13:00 The rise of digital control 18:20 Who controls elections and truth 23:30 The fight over Europe’s future Follow MCC Brussels on social media: https://twitter.com/MCC_Brussels https://facebook.com/MCCBrussels https://linkedin.com/company/mcc-brussels/ website: https://brussels.mcc.hu
April 3 · 44 min
Why Social Democracy Is Dying Across Europe I MCC Brussels Podcast
Europe’s old parties are losing their voters, free speech is coming under pressure, and trust in the media is collapsing. In this episode, we look at three fault lines running through European politics. Why are the old social democratic parties no longer the natural home of workers? What happens when courts and governments begin narrowing the space for moral and political dissent? And why are so many voters losing faith in the media narratives pushed around major elections? Host John O’Brien is joined by Carl Deconinck of Brussels Signal and Dr Philipp Siegert, Deputy Research Director at MCC Brussels, for a discussion about the break-up of Europe’s old political consensus and what may be replacing it. First, the panel examines the collapse of Europe’s social democratic parties. Once rooted in workers, industry and organised labour, these parties increasingly turned towards technocracy, welfare-state management, cultural liberalism and the supranational consensus of the EU era. The discussion looks at how the shift from representing citizens to managing systems helped drive working class voters away, and why many now see the centre left as part of an elite bloc rather than a political home. The second topic is the Finnish speech case involving politician Päivi Räsänen. The panel examines a ruling that has sent shockwaves through Europe’s free speech debate. Convicted over a pamphlet she wrote in 2004, fined, given a criminal record and ordered to remove the text, while being acquitted on a separate Bible-related charge, the case leaves behind a line that is anything but clear. The discussion explores the deeper problem this exposes: if even courts struggle to define what is lawful, how are citizens supposed to know what they can say? And whether Europe’s hate speech regimes are drifting into something more arbitrary, where the real effect is not protection, but a quiet chilling of democratic disagreement. Finally, the episode turns to Hungary and the media climate around elections. How should voters and journalists treat dramatic allegations based on anonymous intelligence sources? Carl and Philipp discuss the collapse of trust in mainstream reporting, the repetition of unverified claims, the power of narrative shaping, and the growing sense that public debate is being flooded not with truth, but with messaging designed to frame political outcomes before voters have even cast their ballots. A conversation about the demise of the old centre, the policing of dissent, and the widening gulf between Europe’s institutions and its citizens.