MCC Brussels Podcast
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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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 campaigni
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 regulator
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
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
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
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 a
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 a
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 McCart
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 Deco
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 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 a
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’
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 "climat
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 dow
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 Fi
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 reasse
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 ma
The Hollow Flag: Why No One Will Die for Brussels | Deep Dive
While the Brussels machine churns out endless reports on "Strategic Autonomy," the reality on the ground different. Professor Bill Durodié joins us to expose the cavernous gap between EU security rhetoric and the stark reality of a continent that has forgotten how to inspire its own people to defend it. Is there anyone left in the Berlaymont who understands that a flag without a demos is
Don’t blame Iran war for Europe’s energy disaster I MCC Brussels Podcast
The war in Iran didn’t create Europe’s energy crisis, it hit a continent already drowning in Green energy chaos and sky-high taxes. This week on the podcast, John O'Brien sits down with Rebecca Mistereggen and Richard Schenk to discuss the energy fallout of the Iran war, the judicial sabotage of democratic mandates in Italy, the rising tide of Islamist extremism on our doorsteps, and the cyni
The EU Commission’s War on Hungary I MCC Bussels Deep Dive
Brussels is terrified of a nation it cannot control. While the Euro-elites plot to unseat Viktor Orbán through legal warfare and funded proxies, Professor Werner Patzelt joins Richard Schenk to reveal the truth behind the "Brussels vs. Budapest" saga. From the weaponisation of "Rule of Law" to the rise of the EU-backed opposition, this is the honest account of a rebellion the m
Brussels’ Dirty Tricks Campaign Against Hungary I MCC Brussels Podcast
In this episode, we talk about the EU’s unprecedented digital interference in the Hungarian election, the undemocratic "Cordon Sanitaire" rigging French local politics, and the shameful rise of anti-Semitic violence in Belgium and the Netherlands.Host Jacob Reynolds is joined by MCC Brussels’ Head of Cultural Engagement Agnieszka Kolek and Research Fellow Richard Schenk to discuss the EU
Ireland: Europe’s capital of Woke Authoritarianism I MCC Brussels Deep Dive
The Ireland you remember- high-trust, community-led, and fiercely independent - is being systematically dismantled. Dr Eoin Lenihan joins John O'Brien to expose the "vandalism" of a nation by an elite class that never asked for the public’s permission. This is the truth the Irish establishment tried to bury. The Demolition of Identity: First, the rapid transformation of Ireland from
What’s the Endgame in Iran? | MCC Brussels Podcast
In this episode, we dissect the "asymmetric mayhem" of the Iranian conflict, the erratic "geopolitical" flip-flopping of Ursula von der Leyen, and the disturbing attempt to institutionalise the Cordon Sanitaire in Belgium. Host Jacob Reynolds is joined by Lennart van Hauwermeiren and Agnieszka Kolek to strip away the diplomatic niceties. What's the Endgame? The panel exami
Why the EU is Irrelevant in Iran | MCC Brussels Podcast
While the world burns, the technocrats are busy drafting press releases for a Monday that never comes. Host Jacob Reynolds is joined by MCC’s Richard Schenk and Jerzy Kwaśniewski (President of the Ordo Iuris Institute) to expose the reality of a Europe that has become a mere bystander to history. We’re cutting through the mealy-mouthed rhetoric in this week’s podcast: from the EU's total irre
Why Orbán says NO to Ukraine aid
Viktor Orbán is once again enemy number one in Brussels. This time, it’s because he has promised to halt EU aid to Ukraine until oil starts flowing again through a pipeline controlled by Ukraine. Is this “big bad Orbán” spoiling the EU’s party, or a principled stand for Hungary’s interests at a critical time?Jacob Reynolds, Agnieszka Kolek, and Philipp Siegert talk about Orban's decision on
Marco Rubio’s Tough Love for Europe | MCC Brussels Podcast
This week, we ask whether anyone in Brussels is really listening to America’s wake-up-call, the chilling impunity of Antifa violence in France, the "Two-Speed" trap of the E6, and the populist earthquake in Japan. Host Jacob Reynolds is joined by Agnieszka Kolek and European Parliament advisor Daria MalecThe Rubio Doctrine and Western Decay. The recent intervention by Marco Rubio at the
Brussel's Great Anti-American Deflection
In this episode we talk about the EU’s cynical anti-American deflection strategy, the regulatory "death-loop" strangling the European economy, the "Poland Playbook" being readied for the Hungarian elections, and the collapse of the Franco-German fighter jet project that turned Connor Allen into the most hated man on French Twitter. Host Jacob Reynolds is joined by MCC’s Agnies
Replacement Migration: From Conspiracy to Policy?
This week, we dismantle a three-pronged assault on the European way of life: leftist politicians who plan to import a new electorate, the EU's sorry dependency on rivals, and plans to further restrict the internet. Host Jacob Reynolds, Head of Policy at MCC Brussels is joined by Angéline Furet MEP of the Patriots for Europe group and France’s Rassemblement National, alongside MCC Brussels Res
What’s Really in the EU-India Agreement
In this week’s episode, MCC Brussels tears into Brussels’ trade-deal frenzy from Mercosur to India, the capital’s 600-day political paralysis, and Trump’s Peace Board challenge to the tired old international order.Jacob Reynolds, Head of Policy at MCC Brussels, is joined by Barbara Bonte, Vlaams Belang MEP in the Patriots for Europe group, and Agnieszka Kolek, Head of Cultural Engagement at MCC Br
Davos: Globalist Theatre Meets Geopolitical Reality
In this week’s episode Jacob Reynolds, with Richard Schenk and Carl Deconinck, cuts through the Davos charade, the EU’s flailing response to Trump and Greenland, and Brussels’ latest attempt to muzzle free speech via its crusade against X.1) Davos / WEF: Davos used to be the annual summit of vague virtue-signalling and lavish self-regard. This year, it looks less like cosplay and more like crisis
The Soft Power Delusion: Europe’s Arctic Wake-Up Call
When the world gets serious, the Berlaymont gets nervous.Greenland gets leaned on, farmers get sold out, and Hungary gets “managed” like a hostile province.John O’Brien sits down with Richard Schenk and Agnieszka Kolek to say what Brussels will only ever imply.Greenland and the Comfort Blanket of NATOGreenland isn’t some far-off abstraction. It’s tied to an EU member state, plugged into NATO, and
The EU’s Quiet Power Grab | Deep Dive
Brussels insists it only acts where member states allow it. MCC Brussel's Deputy Research Director Philip Siegert shows that is simply untrue. h exists down with John O'Brien to talk about his latest report: Empire of Law: Pushing supranationalism beyond democratic legitimacy.For decades, EU institutions have quietly rewritten their own powers; through courts, crises, delegated acts and
Gender Studies vs Reality: The Flat-Earth branch of Academia | Deep Dive
This week, MCC Brussels’ John O’Brien sits down with Leonardo Orlando. He is an evolutionary psychologist, co-author of Sex, Science and Censure, and one of the harshest critics of gender ideology in Europe.Orlando makes a simple but devastating point: you can’t understand society if you pretend biology stops at the neck. Yet universities have built entire “gender” departments on the denial of ba
2025: The year the people found their voice | MCC Brussels Christmas Special
This week, Jacob Reynolds is joined by Pieter Cleppe and Anthony Gilland to review 2025 – the populist surge, the elite fightback on speech and elections, and Europe’s growing weakness from Washington to Ukraine.Populists surge – and the public stops whisperingThe conversation opens on the mood-shift of 2025: farmer protests across Europe, citizens stepping in where the state won’t (including bord
Pay €20,000 or Accept Migrants – EU ‘Solidarity’ Pact
This week, Jacob Reynolds is joined by Philipp Siegert, Deputy Research Director at MCC Brussels, to unpack the EU’s migration pact blow-up, a College of Europe fraud probe, and the vandalism of Brussels’ Grand Place nativity scene. Pay up or take migrantsThe Commission sells the Pact on Migration and Asylum as “solidarity” – but the rollout is exposing open fractures across Europe. The Council is
Denmark’s Immigration Reality: Control, Integration, and the Nation-State | Deep Dive
Denmark isn’t “closed.” It’s controlled.In this Deep Dive, MCC Brussels’ John O’Brien sits down with Danish MEP Anders Vistisen from the Danish People's Party, to dissect the one European immigration model that actually works. Denmark’s approach is blunt, unapologetic, and stubbornly democratic: strict external controls, serious integration demands, honest statistics, and politicians who answ
Elon Musk vs the Eurocrats | MCC Brussels Podcast
This week, Jacob Reynolds is joined by Agnieszka Kolek and Richard Schenk to break down Brussels’ assault on X, Washington’s blunt verdict on Europe’s decline, and the Commission’s extraordinary pressure campaign against Belgium over frozen Russian assets.Brussels fines X to tame the last free platform.The Commission has slapped a €120 million penalty on Elon Musk’s platform, dressing it up as “tr
Posie Parker - The War Against Women
The gender lobby insists debate is forbidden. Institutions rewrite language. Women’s prisons, refuges and schools are paying the price - and Europe’s political class looks the other way.In this Deep Dive, John O’Brien sits down with Kellie-Jay Keen (Posie Parker), one of the most outspoken defenders of women’s rights, for a blunt, unsparing conversation on how gender ideology captured institution
EU Chat Control: Surveillance Masquerading as Security
Register now for Europe’s most important conservative gathering: Battle for the Soul of Europe — 3–4 December in Brussels: https://soulofeurope.coThis week, Jacob Reynolds is joined by Richard Schenk and Pieter Cleppe to tackle the EU’s revived chat control plan, the cold shower of COP30, and yet another Brussels values crusade against Hungary.Chat Control is backThe Commission has quietly revive
How COP and green ideology broke the Western World | Former EU Commission energy official
For 30 years, COP summits have promised salvation and delivered nothing but slogans, moral posturing and declining European industry. At COP30, the same ritual repeats: frightened rhetoric, impossible targets, and yet more pressure on ordinary Europeans to pay for an ideology that refuses to face physics.Jacob Reynolds sits down with Samuele Furfari, engineer, former senior Commission official, an
The EU’s desperate search for cash for Ukraine | MCC Brussels Podcast
Register now for Europe’s most important conservative gathering: Battle for the Soul of Europe — 3–4 December in Brussels: https://soulofeurope.coEurope Runs Out of Money for Ukraine, V4 Regroups, and the Parliament Tries to Police DemocracyThe EU’s crazy solution to fund the Ukraine warBrussels is scrambling to fund a war it can no longer afford. With budget deficits rising across Europe, EU lead
From Fields to Fury: The EU’s War on Farmers
Register here for the definitive conservative intellectual event of the year:👉 https://soulofeurope.coHost John O’Brien is joined by Herman Kelly, President of the Irish Freedom Party, and Richard Schenk of MCC Brussels to discuss:1. The War on FarmersThe EU’s new climate law is not about saving the planet, it is about control.A 90% emissions cut by 2040 means mass culls, fertiliser bans and billi
Mamdani and the Islamo–Left Alliance
Register here for the definitive conservative intellectual event of the year: https://soulofeurope.coHost Jacob Reynolds is joined by Richard Schenk and António Tânger Corrêa, Vice-President of Portugal’s Chegaand MEP in the European Parliament, to ask:Has the Western Left become a coalition of contradictions?From New York to The Hague, Europe’s elites are embracing an unholy alliance of radical I
Ireland is ready for a political earthquake
Host Jacob Reynolds is joined by sociologist and MCC Brussels Executive Director Frank Furedi, and Miguel Toledano, political adviser for Vox in the Patriots for Europe, to ask what happens when Europe’s leaders lose their sense of right and wrong, and why ordinary people are beginning to push back.France: Antifa Attack Mourning VigilIn Nantes, young people held a vigil for 12-year-old Lola, murde
Is peace in Ukraine even possible? | MCC Brussels Podcast
Jacob Reynolds is joined by executive director Frank Furedi and Brussels Signal’s Carl Deconinck to dissect a week where Europe’s self-image met reality – from a mooted Trump–Putin peace summit in Budapest to Britain’s two-tier policing and Brussels’ plan to import North Africa via Erasmus.BUDAPEST PEACE SUMMIT – EUROPE SIDELINEDBudapest is on the verge of a historic Trump-Putin summit. The meetin
Europe's Grand Migration Delusion | MCC Brussels Podcast
Jacob Reynolds is joined by Richard Schenk and Daria Malec to unpick Europe’s latest delusions from the migration pact to the Omnibus farce. THE MIGRATION PACT DELUSIONThe EU has its plan to pretend it takes migration seriously. The essence is that it forces governments to accept quotas or pay cash penalties. They call this "solidarity" - but it amounts to forcing countries to take migra
Czechia’s Voters Just Sent Brussels a Message
A big election victory for the patriotic candidate in Czechia sends a message to Brussels, Macron is looking more under threat than ever following another government collapse, and the EU Parliament just handed immunity to an Antifa activist accused of beating people in the street. Jacob Reynolds is joined by Richard Schenk and Agnieszka Kolek to dissect this weeks political news.CZECH PATRIOTS SAY
The EU’s “foreign interference” obsession
In this week’s MCC Brussels podcast Jacob Reynolds is joined by Frank Furedi and Richard Schenk to unpack how the EU censors and bullies its way through the continent.Moldova’s elections: Brussels hails a “pro-EU victory” — but only after two opposition parties were banned and social media censored. Foreign interference? Yes, from the EU itself.Drones everywhere: airports shut down, NATO panickin
Should Governments ban Antifa?
Would banning Antifa risk crushing free speech?How Macron rewards terrorists while chasing applause.Why Hamas thrives in the court of global opinion.The Brussels bubble’s favourite lie: “Trump imported polarisation”.This week on the MCC Brussels podcast, Jacob Reynolds is joined by:Luke Gittos, writer and lawyer, and Agnieszka Kolek, head of Cultural Engagement MCC BrusselsTogether they take on th
Deep Dive - Charlie Kirk: when hate becomes deadly and polarisation fatal
In this urgent deep dive, John O'Brien sits down with Frank Furedi to discuss the rise of a hate-fuelled polarisation where politics is no longer about disagreement, but the desire to destroy. The appalling assassination of Kirk - who was deeply committed to debate and discussion with people he disagreed with - shows the grim reality of a hateful obsession with branding those we disagree with
After Kirk, free speech is truly on the line | Italy on the frontline of the migrant crisis
After the assassination of Charlie Kirk, we expose the hard reality of the free speech crisis; explore how the EU is directly attacking speech with the DSA; and look at why Italy’s migration emergency is the test case no one in European politics can dodge.Polarisation has curdled into contempt. We open with the reaction to Charlie Kirk’s murder, how identity-politics framing dehumanises opponents,
Ursula Blames the World and Ignores Brussels’ Failures
This week: Ursula von der Leyen tries to tighten her grip on Brussels, Macron loses control of France, and Mario Draghi is crowned Europe’s next saviour.Jacob Reynolds, Head of Policy at MCC Brussels, is joined by Pieter Cleppe (Editor, Brussels Report) and MCC Brussel’s Richard Schenk to take apart the week’s biggest stories in Brussels and beyond.Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union Speech:
Why the EU should NEVER have an army | NATO, Patriotism & the hollow flag | Deep Dives
What happens when a union built on bureaucracy tries to talk tough? In this episode of Deep Dives, Professor Bill Durodié dismantles the fantasy at the heart of EU defence policy. His report, The Hollow Flag, exposes the widening gulf between security rhetoric and strategic reality.While Ukrainians fight to defend their homeland, Brussels produces strategy documents no one reads. The EU talks abou
How the EU Spent €650 Million to Define What You Can Say | MCC Brussels Deep Dive
In this episode of MCC Deep Dives, Dr Norman Lewis joins John O’Brien to discuss his new report Manufacturing Misinformation.The European Commission claims it is protecting “digital safety” and “media responsibility”. In truth, as Lewis shows, it is funding a vast network of projects that aim to control public debate by defining what counts as hate speech and disinformation.Over €650 million has a
EU Censorship Exposed: MEPs Speak Out on the DSA
This week from MCC Brussels: censorship, surveillance, and speech control — straight from the heart of the EU machine.In this explosive episode, MCC Brussels pulls back the curtain on how Brussels elites are weaponising legislation to crush dissent, rig elections, and rewrite the rules of democracy itself.Filmed inside the European Parliament, Jacob Reynolds is joined by:Dr Norman Lewis, visiting
TEAR IT ALL DOWN: How the Tories Betrayed Britain
Has Britain’s Conservative Party signed its own death warrant?In this uncompromising panel from MCC Feszt, Dominic Cummings, Jacob Reynolds, and Mick Hume ask what went so catastrophically wrong with the British right and what must come next.From the betrayal of Brexit to mass legal migration, from the rise of the Whitehall deep state to the collapse of Conservative identity, this is a frank recko
Brussels Crushed in EU–US Trade Deal
In this special episode recorded at MCC Feszt 2025, Jacob Reynolds is joined by Richard Schenk (MCC Brussels) and Philip Pilkington (Hungarian Institute of International Affairs) to unpack some of the most urgent and uncomfortable truths about European politics and the state of Britain today.The EU’s Trade Deal DisasterHow Brussels misplayed its hand with Washington — and what it reveals about Eur
The Truth About Gender Ideology with Billboard Chris and Lois McLatchlie | Deep Dives
In this explosive episode of MCC Deep Dives, host John O’Brien sits down with Canadian street activist Billboard Chris and ADF International’s Lois McLatchie to expose the truth about gender ideology, medical transition in minors, and the global institutions funding it.From puberty blockers and irreversible surgeries to WHO capture, government censorship, and the erosion of parental rights, this e
Trump’s New World Order
Recorded live at MCC Brussels on 14 May 2025Trump’s second presidency is well underway — but Europe is still clinging to old illusions.From NATO budgets to Ukraine, tariffs to technocrats, Trump is tearing up the script. The post-Cold War order is collapsing, and Brussels is still pretending it's 2016.For European elites, the message is simple: grow up, pay up, and stop hiding behind American
Tariff Tantrum! Trump vs EU in trade war showdown
Welcome back to the MCC Brussels Podcast. The show that cuts through EU spin with clarity, candour and a firm grip on the national interest.This week, three big stories from the heart of the Brussels bubble.Trump’s Tariffs: Europe’s Free Ride Is OverTrump is back and he’s coming for Brussels. With a 30 percent tariff wall on EU goods, the message is clear. No more trade freeloading. While the EU b
The End of Open Borders
Is Schengen Dead? Poland Says Enough.Poland reinstates border checks with Germany and Lithuania, and it’s not alone. Eleven EU countries are quietly building barriers within the so-called borderless zone. Brussels insists all is fine. The facts say otherwise. The dream of “free movement” is crashing into the wall of mass migration and national self-interest. So who’s really defending Europe’s bord
Budapest Rejects EU Woke Agenda
On this episode of the MCC Brussels podcast:🇭🇺 Budapest Pride: Hungary vs the Woke WestThe Pride parade returns to the streets of Budapest — but this is no grassroots celebration. Hungarian authorities warn of ideological colonisation, as global activists target national identity and childhood innocence. Orbán’s Hungary refuses to bend the knee — and Brussels can’t stand it.🇩🇪 Germany Moves to Ban
Brussel's Climate Fantasy Collapses
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 Display
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
“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
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 turni
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 b
Poland’s Election Power Struggle | MCC Brussels Interview
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
Antifa ATTACKS Feminist Activists in Brussels | MCC Brussels Podcast
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
Antifa Thugs Attack Free Speech in Brussels—Reform Surges in the UK | MCC Brussels Podcast
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 final
Crackdowns, chaos and control: What on earth is happening in Germany?
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 bac
Can Germany Still Call Itself a Democracy?
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
Deep Dives: Euthanasia in Europe: Compassion or Cause for Concern?
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 individu
No cards? The EU is not even in the game | MCC Brussels Podcast
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 DiplomacyWe open with the surreal spectacle of global power pl
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.A
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.🕵️ E
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 b
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 thei
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 be
Donald Tusk's remarkable takeover of Poland's institutions | Deep Dives
In this edition of Deep Dives, John O’Brien sits down with Polish journalist Artur Ciechanowicz to discuss his latest report: Donald Tusk’s Anti-Democracy Handbook. They break down how Poland is sliding into a system where laws are enforced selectively, opposition voices are silenced, and media control is tightening—all while the EU looks the other way.A scene from Get Shorty captures it best: Joh
