This week, MCC Brussels takes aim at the EU's carefully managed image.

Research Fellow Richard Schenk and  Paul Rougeron join Jacob Reynolds to unpack:

* Pfizergate and why Ursula von der Leyen refuses to release the vaccine deal text messages
* The growing divide between Hungary and the European Commission over LGBT legislation, NGO funding, and rule of law
* The latest attack by Manfred Weber branding conservatives as Nazis — and what it says about the centre-right establishment
* Why Brussels elites preach democracy while avoiding scrutiny, dodging transparency laws, and smearing critics
* And how the Macron slap became a symbol of the disconnect between French elites and the public

This episode is a deep dive into the crisis of legitimacy facing the European Union, the rise of populist backlash, and the culture wars reshaping the continent.

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The Polish election isn’t just close — it’s existential.

As Warsaw’s liberal elite scrambles to “close the system", the "complete criminalisation of the right wing opposition in Poland."  Karol Nawrocki stands in their way. Backed by voters tired of corruption, censorship and Brussels meddling, Nawrocki threatens to derail the carefully staged return of Donald Tusk and his coalition of Eurocrats and legacy media.

In this urgent MCC Brussels special, Polish journalist and commentator Aleksandra Rybińska explains:

🔹 Why Nawrocki’s rise has the establishment panicking
🔹 How Tusk’s camp used secret service leaks to smear him
🔹 What’s really behind the “rule of law” narrative from Brussels
🔹 And what happens if Poland’s last constitutional defence is removed

Antifa disrupted yet another free speech event in Brussels, targeting conservative feminist Alice Cordier, co-founder of Collective Nemesis. Joined by Agnieszka Kolek from MCC Brussels, this explosive episode exposes how progressive elites weaponise identity politics, ignore migrant violence against women, and use Antifa as street enforcers. We also unpack the EU’s obsession with migration numbers, and examine shock election results across Poland, Romania, and Portugal. Are Europe's populists finally breaking through?

#FreeSpeech #MCCBrussels #Immigration #EUPolitics #ConservativeFeminism #ElectionIntegrity

Antifa thugs try to shut down MCC Brussels again—but we held the line. This week, Jacob Reynolds is joined by James Orr and Richard Schenk to discuss the escalating assault on free speech in Brussels, the rise of Reform UK in the polls, Keir Starmer’s sudden U-turn on immigration, and what Trump’s return means for Europe. We also dive into the culture war over Eurovision and ask: is the West finally waking up?

#FreeSpeech #ReformUK #CultureWar #Trump2024 #MCCBrussels

In this blistering polemic, MCC Brussels Senior Research Fellow Dr Maren Thom and Research Fellow Richard Schenk dissect a week of political chaos:

Germany’s largest opposition party, the AfD, officially branded “extremist” – for views shared by millions.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz humiliated in a failed vote,  forced into a fragile coalition with the SPD.

The government’s desperate attempt to win back voters by pivoting on migration – while still refusing to engage with dissent.

Far from defending democracy, Germany’s political class is dismantling it – using bans, surveillance, and court cases instead of arguments.

 Watch, subscribe, and leave a comment.

What happens when Europe’s ruling class can’t defeat their opponents at the ballot box?

In this week’s MCC Brussels podcast we begin in Germany, where the intelligence services have officially branded the AFD as "extremist" – just as a new coalition government struggles to form under Friedrich Merz. Is this militant democracy or just democracy in name only?

Next, we turn to Romania, where right-wing candidate George Simion has surged to victory in the presidential election's first round –just months after the previous vote was annulled. The establishment is panicking. Is Romania becoming Brussels' next problem child?

And finally, we land in Hungary, where the European Commission is once again attacking Hungary’s immigration policy. Why? Because Budapest won’t keep convicted people-smugglers on its soil. It’s another case of EU overreach – and an attack on national sovereignty.

Join guests Frank Furedi, Executive Director of MCC Brussels, and Richard Schenk, Research Fellow, and host Jacob Reynolds to unpack an explosive set of developments across the continent.

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👇 Let us know in the comments: Should the EU be able to ban political parties it doesn’t like?

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website:
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0:00 – Welcome & Europe in Crisis: Germany, Romania, Hungary
0:46 – Germany Declares AfD "Extremist"
2:59 – Ethno-Cultural Identity Debate
4:04 – Militant Democracy & Thought Policing
6:08 – Politicisation of Intelligence in Germany
9:03 – Merz’s Chancellorship Collapses
16:54 – Romania: Simeon Surges After Rigged Election
24:50 – Hungary vs Brussels: Smugglers & Sovereignty
28:35 – What Europe’s Political Chaos Means

Join John O’Brien, Head of Communications, and Ashley Frawley, Visiting Research Fellow at MCC Brussels, in this eye-opening episode of Deep Dives. Together, they explore the complex and controversial topic of euthanasia through the lens of a groundbreaking report by MCC Brussels.
In this thought-provoking discussion, they tackle critical questions: Does legalising euthanasia truly empower individuals—or the state? How do euphemisms like "death with dignity" shape public opinion and obscure deeper ethical concerns? What are the implications of normalising euthanasia, from strict safeguards to its expanding scope?
Learn about the cross-national tactics driving euthanasia laws across Europe and how these policies may erode the value of life as a democratic cornerstone. Discover the risks of harmonising euthanasia legislation within the EU and its potential clash with local ethical and cultural values. Tell us what you think about this insightful conversation that challenges conventional narratives and explores the profound societal shifts tied to this critical issue.

From Trump and Zelensky’s headline-grabbing encounter at the Pope’s funeral to a massive power outage plunging Spain into darkness, this episode dives into the mounting signs of European decline. We explore how culture wars, green dogma, and bureaucratic drift are reshaping Europe — and leaving its citizens in the dark.

🇻🇦 Papal Funeral Diplomacy
We open with the surreal spectacle of global power players using the Pope’s funeral as a geopolitical summit. Jacob Reynolds and Frank Furedi unpack what it tells us about Europe's absence from global affairs — and Jorge Buxadé explains how even the Catholic Church is now entangled in the culture wars.

⚡️ Spain’s Blackout & Energy Crisis
Next, we dive into the devastating power outage that swept across Spain, Portugal, and southern France. Jorge Buxadé holds nothing back: Sánchez must go. Frank Furedi explains how the EU’s renewable fetish and centralised energy policy have made national governments powerless — literally.

🌊 The EPP Circus in Valencia
Finally, we dissect the European People's Party conference in flood-stricken Valencia. As Jorge puts it, it’s not just the weather that’s a disaster — it's the fact the EPP still pretends to be “centre-right” while enforcing the same failed policies as the left. Frank Furedi calls them what they are: technocrats cut off from the nations they supposedly represent.

🎙 Featuring: – Jorge Buxadé, MEP and member of the Vox party
– Frank Furedi, Executive Director, MCC Brussels
– Jacob Reynolds, Head of Policy, MCC Brussels

Across Europe, families are cutting back on heating, dreading their next energy bill. How did we end up here?

In this episode of Deep Dives, John O’Brien speaks with energy expert James Woudhuysen about his latest report: Lights Out: Is the EU Failing on Energy Policy? They unpack how Europe’s obsession with wind and solar has left households vulnerable, while nuclear, gas, and coal are sidelined.

Are we heading for an era of permanent energy rationing? Has the EU swapped one dependency for another by outsourcing green tech to China? And is the push for ‘sustainability’ just a new form of austerity?

From spiralling costs to policymakers who seem utterly detached from reality, this discussion lays bare the failures of Europe’s energy strategy—and what must change before the situation worsens.

Read the full report here: [https://brussels.mcc.hu/publication/lights-out-is-the-eu-failing-on-energy-policy-1]

How are rising energy costs affecting you? Share your thoughts below.

On this week's podcast:

From tariffs to party systems, we examine the forces quietly redrawing the political map of Europe and beyond.

📉 Trump’s Tariffs – Chaos or Strategy?
The former president imposes—and then partially walks back—massive global tariffs. Markets tumble, pundits panic. But is there a method behind the volatility? Mick Hume argues it’s the end of globalisation as we knew it.

🕵️ EU Caught in NGO Funding Scandal
A damning report from the European Court of Auditors confirms what MCC Brussels has long warned: the EU is funnelling vast sums to activist NGOs with no transparency or accountability. We expose the tangled, opaque networks—and the political agenda behind them.

🇩🇪 Germany’s ‘Black-Rot’ Coalition & the Rise of AfD
A new government in Berlin promises continuity, not change. As Friedrich Merz takes power with a grand coalition that concedes to every left-wing demand, the AfD hits record polling highs. What does this mean for Germany—and Europe?

With Jacob Reynolds, MCC Brussels Research Fellow Richard Shank, and Mick Hume.

👇 Watch now and join the debate in the comments.
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#TrumpTariffs #EUScandal #GermanyPolitics #AfD #NGOs #Globalisation #MarineLePen #EUTransparency #Brussels #MCCBrussels #Politics #EuropeanUnion