MCC Brussels Podcast

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 panicking, paranoia in the skies. How much of it is areal security threat or Brussels manufacturing fear?Slovakia fights back: a new constitutional amendment asserts national sovereignty and rejects Brussels’ gender dogma. Could this spark a wider rebellion in Central Europe?It’s a packed episode on EU manipulation, propaganda wars, and why ordinary Europeans are starting to say enough is enough.

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 three urgent questions:👉 Should Antifa be designated a terrorist organisation—or does that hand the state sweeping new powers to silence dissent?👉 Why is Emmanuel Macron leading the charge to recognise Palestine, and does it amount to rewarding terror?👉 And is Europe really succumbing to imported “culture wars”—or are Brussels elites blind to homegrown discontent?🚨 “There is no fixed population, no borders, no real state,” says Gittos. “Recognition of Palestine is the single most disgusting gesture-politics of recent times.”Follow MCC Brussels on social media:https://twitter.com/MCC_Brusselshttps://facebook.com/MCCBrusselshttps://linkedin.com/company/mcc-brussels/website:https://brussels.mcc.hu

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 as pure evil. But it's bigger than just Kirk, across the West, those with contrary views on migration, environmentalism, or patriotism are branded not just wrong, but evil. Kirk's death reminds us that if you wish to live in a democracy, you have to be prepared to tolerate those who disagree with you. Instead, many progressives have sought to de-legitimise and eventually destroy their political enemies. Furedi argues it would be a mistake for conservatives to follow in their footsteps. Frank Furedi is an internationally renowned sociologist, author of numerous books, and executive director of MCC Brussels. He writes a regular Substack, newsletter, Roots and Wings. Substack | Roots & Wings with Frank Furedi: https://frankfuredi.substack.com/Follow MCC Brussels on social media:https://twitter.com/MCC_Brusselshttps://facebook.com/MCCBrusselshttps://linkedin.com/company/mcc-brussels/website:https://brussels.mcc.hu

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, and why conservatives must keep the moral-high-ground on free speech. Then we pull apart the EU Censorship machine – the DSA, trusted-flaggers and regulatory overreach – and the transatlantic clash as Washington pushes back. From the European Parliament to the Commission, we ask whether Brussels will blink.Italy’s front line runs through Lampedusa. We trace mass migration routes, court-led vetoes, and bilateral deals with Tunisia and Libya – and whether national governments can still defend borders under EU politics as usual.Jacob Reynolds is joined by Frank Furedi (executive director, MCC Brussels) and Marco Campomenosi (former MEP and deputy secretary general, Patriots for Europe Group)Follow MCC Brussels on social media:https://twitter.com/MCC_Brusselshttps://facebook.com/MCCBrusselshttps://linkedin.com/company/mcc-brussels/website:https://brussels.mcc.hu

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: Brussels’ grande dame of centralisation delivered a speech obsessed with global threats, regulating speech, and “reuniting Europe”. We break down what it really means for democracy, free speech, and the EU’s future.France’s Political Meltdown:Another government has collapsed, Macron is in deeper crisis than ever, and France’s debt is spiralling. We look at what this means for the eurozone, Le Pen’s chances, and why the French establishment is terrified of voters.Mario Draghi as Europe’s Saviour?:Brussels elites are hailing Super Mario as the man to “fix” Europe. We ask: why is the man who caused many of today’s problems being handed the keys to Europe’s economic future?Expect sharp analysis, no-nonsense commentary, and plenty of challenging the Brussels bubble. If you care about free speech, Europe’s future, or simply enjoy watching the EU elite squirm, this episode is for you.Follow MCC Brussels on social media:https://twitter.com/MCC_Brusselshttps://facebook.com/MCCBrusselshttps://linkedin.com/company/mcc-brussels/website:https://brussels.mcc.hu

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 about values, but avoids asking the one question that matters: who would actually fight for Europe?Key themes:Why EU “security” is just managerial theatre.The crisis of democratic legitimacy in Europe.How Ukraine revealed Brussels' impotence.NATO’s relevance — and why it still matters.Patriotism, loyalty, and the meaning of defence.

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 already been spent. Hundreds of initiatives, many cloaked in the language of academic research and youth engagement, are working to set the boundaries of acceptable opinion.This is not a rumour or an internet fantasy. It is detailed in official databases, published in project reports, and paid for by the European taxpayer.Watch the full interview to find out what Brussels does not want discussed in polite society.

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 research fellow for MCC BrusselsVirginie Joron MEP, (RN, PfE)Nikola Bartulica MEP, (DOMiNO, ECR)Tom Vandendriessche MEP, (Vlaams Belang, PfE)They unpack: The truth about the DSA – the so-called "Digital Services Act".Why it’s not about platform accountability, but about EU control of speech, elections, and public opinion. From free speech to digital surveillance.How Brussels is outsourcing censorship to Big Tech — and punishing platforms that don’t comply with fines up to 8% of global revenue.Election interference in plain sight.MEPs reveal how vague clauses like "electoral processes" are being used to justify EU meddling in national votes — including Romania.Follow the money.Norman Lewis explains how Brussels funds the misinformation industry — then cites it as justification for more censorship. A soft totalitarianism.From "disinformation" to "democracy shields", Brussels bureaucrats are building a Ministry of Truth under the pretence of protecting values they themselves have hollowed out.The global export of Eurocrat ideology.Why EU elites believe the world needs more Brussels — more Green Deals, more wokeism, more speech policing — and how they're pushing it on countries like Japan. Why this matters:This isn’t about online safety — it’s about fear of democracy. The EU Commission knows its policies are failing, so it's doubling down on censorship to silence revolt across Europe.🚨 “They’re terrified of the people,” says Lewis. “Terrified of unpredictability, of elections, of dissent.”This is MCC Brussels at its best: real conversations, fearless voices, and a total demolition of Brussels' fake democracy.

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 reckoning with the failures of a party that governed for 14 years and conserved nothing.Topics include:– Why most migration was deliberate policy, not a failure– The Conservative Party’s war on its own base– How Brexit was done to the Tories, not by them– Why Whitehall, not Westminster, runs Britain– Can Reform UK fill the vacuum? Or will it be co-opted?– The death of ministerial responsibility and the rise of permanent bureaucracy– Why Britain needs not just a new party — but a new system📍 Panel: Reforming Britain: The Reckoning of the RightSpeakers:– Dominic Cummings (Former Chief Adviser to the Prime Minister)– Jacob Reynolds (MCC Brussels)– Mick Hume (Journalist & Author)– Moderated by István Kiss (MCC Brussels)

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 Europe's collapsing leverage on the world stage.Britain’s Online Safety ActSold as child protection, seen by many as censorship. Is this the start of serious restrictions on speech in the UK?The EU Budget CrisisHigher bills for ordinary Europeans, cuts to farmers, billions for NGOs and foreign adventures, and almost no democratic oversight.Ukraine’s EU AccessionWhy fast-tracking Ukraine could break the EU as we know it, and expose the fragility of Brussels' power structure.If you want clear, unfiltered analysis that cuts through the technocratic spin - this is your podcast.