On this episode of the MCC Brussels podcast:🔥 EU Green Deal in CrisisVon der Leyen pulls the plug on flagship green policy. Farmers revolt, small businesses are strangled, and voters are done with climate extremism. The Green Deal was never sustainable, it was a fantasy cooked up by unelected bureaucrats and corporate lobbyists. Now reality bites.🇮🇱 Brussels and Israel: Double Standards on DisplayAs Israel defends itself against terror threats, the EU ramps up investigations and legal posturing. Meanwhile, authoritarian regimes like Iran are met with silence or soft diplomacy. This isn’t about human rights — it’s about Brussels performing virtue while ignoring reality.🪖 NATO: Bloated Bureaucracy, Absent BackboneNATO talks a big game (new defence targets, bold declarations) but behind the curtain, it’s a mess of opt-outs, political theatre, and strategic drift. Member states evade commitments. Brussels plays with spreadsheets. And nobody seems to remember what real defence requires: borders, armies, and a will to fight. This is not a serious alliance. Not anymore.Featuring Ashley Frawley and Frank Furedi. Hosted by John O’Brien. No platitudes. No spin. Just the truth
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Israel vs Iran: Europe CAN’T Stay Neutral
Israel’s response to Iran, the return of border checks across Europe, and the UK’s grooming gang scandal. MCC Brussels takes on the questions too many avoid.Mick Hume (Editor-in-Chief, The European Conservative) and Agnieszka Kolek (Head of Cultural Engagement, MCC Brussels) join host John O’Brien to discuss:Should Europe stand firmly with Israel after strikes on Iranian military targets?Schengen turns 40. Are open borders helping or harming Europe’s security and cohesion?What the UK’s grooming gang crisis reveals about multiculturalism, free speech, and political cowardiceWith sharp insights into foreign policy, security, and social trust, this episode examines the challenges liberal democracies now face from both within and beyond Europe’s borders.👉 Subscribe for weekly content exploring the issues Brussels often avoids.
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“No more compromise”: Wilders forces Dutch Government collapse
Dutch government collapses, ECHR power grab, Macron censors social mediaMCC Brussels exposes the political battles shaping the future of Europe.Executive Director Frank Furedi and Brussels Report Editor-in-Chief Pieter Cleppe join Jacob Reynolds to unpack:Why Geert Wilders pulled the plug on the Dutch coalition and what it means for the populist right across Europe.How the European Court of Human Rights undermines national democracy and fuels Europe’s migration crisis.Why Macron’s push to ban social media for under-15s signals a new wave of digital censorship and state control.How European elites weaponise supranational courts and institutions to sideline voters and bypass national parliaments.Why mainstream parties refuse to confront Europe’s growing migration backlash.And why Europe’s culture war is now fought in courts, classrooms, and on smartphones.This episode unpacks the escalating clash between European elites and national democracy, and the popular forces rising to confront them.Subscribe for weekly analysis they would rather you didn’t hear.Follow MCC Brussels on social media:https://twitter.com/MCC_Brusselshttps://facebook.com/MCCBrusselshttps://linkedin.com/company/mcc-brussels/website:https://brussels.mcc.hu
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Poland's election sends a message to EU | MCC Brussels Podcast
Poland’s election shock, Paris riots, Green Deal collapse — Brussels elites are rattled.This week, MCC Brussels takes apart the narratives Europe’s establishment would rather you didn’t hear.Research Fellow Richard Schenk and Agnieszka Kolek join Jacob Reynolds to unpack:The Polish election result and why Polish voters rejected Brussels' liberal elitesWhy Karol Nawrocki’s landslide is a turning point for the patriotic right in EuropeHow young Poles — and the working class — are driving a new conservative waveThe Paris riots: what they really reveal about mass migration, law and order, and the state’s failureIs the European Green Deal collapsing? Why Brussels is quietly dropping climate targets, and what it means for Europe’s economy and sovereigntyThis episode dives deep into the backlash against the EU’s managed democracy, climate ideology, and culture wars — and the growing revolt across European societies.👉 Subscribe for weekly analysis Brussels doesn’t want you to hear.Follow MCC Brussels on social media:https://twitter.com/MCC_Brusselshttps://facebook.com/MCCBrusselshttps://linkedin.com/company/mcc-brussels/website:https://brussels.mcc.hu
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Pfizergate: von der Leyen’s secret texts | MCC Brussels Podcast
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 publicThis 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.Subscribe for weekly analysis they’d rather you didn’t hear.
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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