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

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

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).

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?

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: John Travolta goes to collect his coat from a restaurant, only to be told it was “borrowed” because someone else needed it. That, argues Artur, is how the rule of law now works in Poland.Why is Tusk’s government getting a free pass while others are vilified? What happens when judicial rulings become optional? And is the EU’s commitment to democracy just for show?📖 Read the full report here: [https://brussels.mcc.hu/publication/donald-tusks-anti-democracy-handbook]Let us know your thoughts—does this set a dangerous precedent for Europe?

Brussels claims it's finally getting serious about deportations, but the reality? Another bureaucratic sham designed to appease voters while keeping Europe's borders wide open. Meanwhile, the Digital Services Act is being dressed up as a "neutral" regulation—when in reality, it’s a censorship weapon, silencing dissent under the guise of fighting "disinformation."And if that wasn’t enough, the EU’s latest power grab in Romania is straight out of an authoritarian playbook. Călin Georgescu, the frontrunner in the presidential race, has been blocked from running—on laughably flimsy legal grounds. The message is clear: Brussels and its local elites will cancel elections before they let an anti-establishment candidate win.The topics of this weeks podcast: **Why is the EU pretending to care about deportations while quietly paving the way for more migration?**How does the Digital Services Act give unelected bureaucrats the power to control what you can see and say online?**Is Romania just the beginning? Could Brussels intervene in other national elections to crush populist challengers?Jacob Reynolds is joined by Javier Villamor (The European Conservative) and MCC Brussels' Richard Schenk to break down the EU’s latest authoritarian moves, its desperation to maintain control, and why even left-wing voices are starting to sound the alarm.

As Trump signals a shift in America's stance on Ukraine, Europe's leaders are in disarray, desperately trying to craft a unified response. But is this truly about security, or is it an excuse to push deeper EU federalisation?The latest developments suggest that European leaders, long complacent under NATO’s umbrella, are now panicking as the reality of Trump's foreign policy sets in. Suddenly, billions are being pledged for defense, but where is this money coming from? And more importantly—who will really control it?At the same time, the EU’s elites continue their assault on democracy. In Romania, we see yet another case of election interference, as authorities move against a candidate inconvenient to Brussels’ agenda. The latest scandal surrounding the Digital Services Act shows how the EU is weaponising “disinformation” laws to silence opposition and maintain control.Meanwhile, the NGO propaganda machine is being exposed like never before. From green lobbyists to pro-EU activist networks, taxpayer money is funding a vast influence operation aimed at shaping public opinion and suppressing dissent.Jacob Reynolds is joined by MEP Angéline Furet (Rassemblement National, Patriots for Europe) and MCC Brussels' research fellow, Richard Schenk, to break down these urgent developments.Will Europe reclaim its sovereignty, or is it doomed to remain in crisis mode, shackled by its own elite’s ideological obsessions? Subscribe now to MCC Brussels for more hard-hitting analysis on the EU and beyond.00:00 Intro – Europe in Crisis Mode04:48 Europe’s Desperate Military Response10:04 Spending the money12 :28 Romania’s Political Crackdown18:01 The EU’s Secret Censorship Machine22:20 Exposing the NGO Propaganda Complex29:20 The CDU calls for NGO investigation

The EU is quietly funnelling billions into so-called non-governmental organisations.These “independent” NGOs are anything but. They’re propped up by Brussels, pushing its agenda, shaping public opinion, and drowning out dissenting voices. It’s propaganda—paid for with your money.In this episode of Deep Dives, we sit down with Thomas Fazi, talking about his report exposing the EU’s shadowy NGO network. He lays out how Brussels bankrolls groups that parrot its talking points, suppresses real civil society, and even lobbies itself to demand the policies it already wants.Read the MCC Brussels report to uncover the staggering scale of the EU’s taxpayer-funded propaganda machine📖 Read the full report here 👉 https://brussels.mcc.hu/publication/the-eus-propaganda-machine-how-the-eu-funds-ngos-to-promote-itself

Germany has voted — but the German establishment is in crisis. The CDU claims victory, but at what cost? The AfD surges despite media attacks. The left collapses, and young voters are shifting against the status quo.🔹 The Firewall is Cracking – Can the AfD be shut out forever?🔹 CDU’s Gamble – Is Merz serious about migration, or is it all just talk?🔹 Economic Freefall – Germany’s industry is in decline—who will stop it?🔹 Censorship & Free Speech – The growing crackdown on political dissent.Joining Jacob Reynolds for this special edition recorded live in Brussels are Alexander Jungbluth MEP (AfD, ESN) Sabine Beppler-Spahl (Freiblickinstitut), and Frank Furedi (MCC Brussels' executive director). Join us as we unpack the real story of this election.Remember to like, subscribe and hit the notification bell. 

This week, joining Jacob Reynolds are MCC Brussels' executive director Frank Furedi, and Zsófia Tóth-Bíró from The European ConservativeWe break down the key issues shaping global politics.we explore how Trump’s vision for a new world order could reshape Europe—and what it means for the U.S. as well. Is Trump fashioning a whole new vision for global geopolitics, or does his cavalier attitude risk spiralling out of control? We also discuss JD Vance’s history-making speech, where the US Vice President shocked EU elites by questioning their approach to democracy, to free speech, and to immigration. Was his insistence that the real enemy for European societies is “within” a necessary wake up call, or needless provocation? Finally, we take a look at the the EU’s incredible NGO propaganda complex. This vast corruption of civil society by EU cash calls for an EU DOGE to take it apart. Remember to hit like, subscribe to the channel, leave us a comment, and share with your friends and colleagues. The time for major change in Europe has come!