The Echo Chamber from Tortoise Shack Thrown Under the EU’s Omnibus
Nov 29, 2025
Senator Patricia Stephenson, an advocate for workers' and human rights, teams up with Dr. Ciarán O'Carroll, a climate and industrial policy expert. They discuss the alarming role of far-right politics in dismantling EU protections for the environment and workers. Both highlight the personal dangers of weakened data privacy laws, recalling scandals like Cambridge Analytica. They also explore how a revitalized social contract could address economic injustices and connect immigration debates with broader issues of inequality.
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Domestic Warnings Overruled In Brussels
- An Oireachtas cross-party report warned the omnibus would weaken corporate due diligence across supply chains.
- Senator Patricia Stephenson highlights that national-level concern did not stop MEPs from voting the package through.
EPP-Far Right Power Shift
- The EPP allied with the far right to pass an omnibus deregulation package that strips environmental and human rights protections.
- Senator Patricia Stephenson warns this sets a dangerous precedent for who wields power in the EU and how decisions get made.
Omnibus As A Legislative Weapon
- The omnibus technique bundles major deregulatory changes, bypassing debate and accelerating dismantling of the EU rulebook.
- Ciarán O'Carroll calls it a weapon that will leave Europe weaker without an industrial strategy.