Freezing Homes and Soaring Bills - Europe’s Energy Folly | Deep Dives
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.
--------
24:19
Trump’s TARIFF Shock: Chaos or Strategy? | MCC Brussels Podcast
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 ScandalA 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 AfDA 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.Subscribe for weekly analysis from MCC Brussels.#TrumpTariffs #EUScandal #GermanyPolitics #AfD #NGOs #Globalisation #MarineLePen #EUTransparency #Brussels #MCCBrussels #Politics #EuropeanUnion
--------
31:18
EU Democracy on Trial: Marine Le Pen Banned From Running
Marine Le Pen has been banned from running for president. Trump hits Europe with new tariffs. EU officials caught using ChatGPT to avoid transparency. We unpack Europe’s democratic and economic crisis.This week on the MCC Brussels podcast, we explore the shocking ban of Marine Le Pen from France’s presidential race, raising serious questions about lawfare and the state of democracy in the EU. We break down Trump's new tariffs and the looming EU-US trade war, and investigate the European Commission’s alleged use of ChatGPT to dodge transparency. Jacob Reynolds is joined by Frank Furedi and Paul Rougeron for a deep dive into the political chaos spreading across Europe.#France #MarineLePen #TradeWar #EUPolitics #ChatGPT #MCCBrussels
--------
32:13
LEAKED US War Plans EXPOSE Brutal Truth About Europe's WEAKNESS.
US officials used a Signal group chat to plan military strikes—revealing staggering disregard for national security. We also unpack Europe’s defence collapse and explore the continent’s fertility crisis.This week on the MCC Brussels podcast, we explore the jaw-dropping use of a Signal chat by senior Trump-era officials to discuss American war plans, exposing both a lack of professionalism and their candid disdain for Europe. JD Vance's blunt critique of EU defence is drawing praise and outrage. Meanwhile, Europe’s rearmament programme descends into confusion, and France faces a demographic reckoning as birth rates collapse and the No-Kid movement spreads. Featuring Helene de Lauzun (European Conservative) and John O’Brien (MCC Brussels).
--------
26:28
Germany rams through MASSIVE spending package | MCC Brussels Podcast
This week on the MCC Brussels podcast, Jacob Reynolds is joined by MCC Brussels’ Head of Cultural Engagement Agnieszka Kolek and Research Fellow Richard Schenk to unpick a trio of scandals that reveal the state of modern Europe – from fiscal irresponsibility in Berlin to ideological overreach in Brussels, and political persecution in Warsaw.First up: Germany’s supposedly sacred “debt brake” has been tossed aside in a last-minute manoeuvre by a soon-to-be-defunct parliament – all to fund a vast new spending spree. Billions promised for defence and infrastructure, but let’s not kid ourselves: how much will actually go to tanks and roads, and how much to feather the nests of failing parties and pointless projects?Then we dive into our explosive new report on the EU’s funding of radical NGOs. Over €220 million handed out to ideological activists pushing gender self-ID for children, erasing women’s rights, and infiltrating policymaking at the highest level. Brussels has no legal competence on these issues – but it’s forcing change through the back door.Finally, a chilling story from Poland: a senior opposition figure dies suddenly after a heavy-handed interrogation by state prosecutors. The government’s reaction? Threaten anyone who dares link the interrogation to her death. Welcome to militant democracy, where dissent is criminal and the rule of law is optional.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe. Tell us what you think – Are we witnessing the disintegration of Europe’s political stability, or is it merely another instance of the elite’s hypocrisy?
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.
Ireland