MCC Brussels Podcast

The European Parliament was witness to a truly remarkable scene this week. Ursula von Der Leyen launched an unprecedented attack on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, as Orbán was supposed to be outlining the themes of the Hungarian Presidency of the European Council. In a show of her imperial ambitions, Queen Ursula led an incredible attempt not just to undermine Orbán, but humiliate the Hung...

The events of October 7 last year should have shocked the world. A barbaric attack on Jews, carried out by Hamas terrorists and other Islamist militants, resulted in perhaps the worst act of Jew-killing since the Holocaust.   Yet in the days, weeks, and months after that fateful day, we have witnessed a shocking series of equivocations, denials and outright apology for the unprecedented violence o...

In this episode, Jacob Reynolds is joined by our policy analyst Bence Szabo and our head of cultural engagement Agnieszka Kołek to dive into the results from the Austrian elections, where the mainstream parties are engaged in a desperate attempt to install another cordon sanitaire to block the election-winning Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ).  We also take stock of the recent escalations in the middl...

In this episode of Deep Dives, John O'Brien interviews Thomas Fazi about his latest report, "The Silent Coup: The European Commission's Power Grab".  Fazi's report examines how the European Commission has gradually amassed greater power and authority over the sovereign nations of the European Union. He argues that, through a series of crises—including the sovereign debt cr...

In this episode of Deep Dives, Jacob Reynolds talks to Frank Füredi about his latest book "The War Against the Past". His book aims to shed light on the systematic attempt to delegitimise the ideals and accomplishments of Western civilisation. Its advocates may see it as a cultural imperative, but a society that loses touch with its past will face a permanent identity crisis. Dismantling...

A special edition of the podcast - we've gone bilingual!  Édition spéciale : notre podcast devient bilingue ! We're joined by Jérôme Munier, founder of the populist party Chez Nous, a new party seeking to shake things up in Wallonia. In this episode, we interview with Jérôme in French about his experience setting up the party, and then reflect (in English) on why Belgium needs a challeng...

In this special episode - live from MCC Feszt in Esztergom, Hungary - we talk to Joanna Williams about her new report 'Sexualising Children? The rise of Comprehensive Sexuality Education'. Joanna explains how a new paradigm has taken hold in schools - a radical new idea of how to teach sex education. This approach (Comprehensive Sexuality Education, CSE) obsesses with promoting the idea...

In this episode of Deep Dives John O'Brien talks to Richard J Schenk, Research Fellow at MCC Brussels, about his report 'The Silent War on Farming - How EU policies are destroying our agriculture’. The report explains how, under the guise of environmental concerns, European regulation has slowly squeezed farmers – especially livestock farmers – to breaking point. The report examines the...

The election in France has become a desperate scramble by the establishment to keep out the Rassemblement National. But the cordon sanitaire no longer works.  We also ask: As Hungary assumes the EU presidency, what can we anticipate from Viktor Orbán, and what do the UK elections hold? We end by asking why have the European Championship games been so dull? Joining Jacob Reynolds are: Professor Fra...

The rise of the populist National Rally has EU technocrats in an uproar and they are trying everything to stifle popular anger. The team delve into why this election is so pivotal for France - and for Europe. Then, we turn our attention to the "Green Coup" in the EU council which forced through the controversial Nature Restoration Act. We finish with a discussion of the emerging shape of...

A special live edition of the podcast where MCC Brussels, friends, and commentators digest the results of the European Parliament elections in a relaxed but intellectually serious environment. When the Brussels Bubble seems so distant from the concerns of ordinary Europeans, our analysis of the election will go beyond the traditional obsessions of the "bubble" and shift from focusing on...

In this episode of Deep Dives John O'Brian talks to Thomas Fazi about his MCC Brussels report 'Reclaiming Food Sovereignty: An alternative approach to trade and agriculture'.  The report explains how EU policies have systematically hindered food production in Europe and argues for a renewed focus on food security. Massive farmers' protests have swept across European countries,...

Welcome to Deep Dives, a new addition to the MCC Brussels podcast family. In Deep Dives, we let MCC Brussels' esteemed researchers explain in detail their groundbreaking reports, thoughtfully exploring the insights and implications of their work. In our first episode, join MCC Brussels' Jacob Reynolds for an eye-opening interview with Dr. Norman Lewis, author of a groundbreaking report o...

Free speech is in big trouble in Europe.  In this episode Head of Policy Jacob Reynolds, MCC Brussels Chief of Staff Tony Gilland and Policy Analyst Bence Szabó talk about what happened at NatCon and why MCC Brussels is launching the Free Speech Declaration.  Jacob is also joined by Head of Cultural Engagement Agnieszka Kolek to talk about the real reason why the EU has dropped the rule-of-law pro...

In this episode, Jacob Reynolds is joined by our executive director Frank Füredi, head of EU Affairs Bence Akos Gat and senior research fellow Arta Moeini.  In contemporary political discourse, there is a tendency to classify anything diverging from the left-liberal ideology as "far-right." The team delves into the rationale and ramifications underlying the transformation of the "fa...

In this episode, Jacob Reynolds is joined by our executive director Frank Füredi, head of communications John O'Brien and research fellow Richard Schenk. Populism is plainly not going anywhere. The group discuss the populist revolt of the Irish referendum and the success in the Portuguese elections of the populist party Chenga.  MCC Brussels is holding the conference Is the Future of Europe P...

In this special episode of the MCC Brussels podcast, Jacob Reynolds is joined by our executive director Frank Füredi and the seasoned Brussels journalist Bruno Waterfield.  The group ask what happened to Qatargate, why Hungary - and its demonisation - dominated European discussion, why populism is not going anywhere, and what we can hope for in 2024. This episode was recorded on the 18th December.

What explains the rise of the AfD in Germany, and why has it sent German and European elites into such a meltdown? Does the party represent a genuine alternative to Germany's political consensus, or should we look also to other forces in Germany for new ideas? For this episode, Jacob Reynolds is joined by Sabine Beppler-Spahl chair of the Berlin based liberal think tank Freiblickinstitut and...

MCC Brussels' Jacob Reynolds is joined by Dr Ralph Schoellhammer, author of our latest publication 'Why we need nuclear: towards a future of plenty'. The episode features some discussion of the paper, thoughts on why anti-nuclear campaigners have been effective, and reflections on what the real motivations of anti-nuclear and green campaigners could be. Read the publication here: ht...

MCC Brussels' Frank Füredi and Jacob Reynolds discuss the Spanish elections with Rodrigo Ballester. We look at why the right underperformed, ask how to counter the demonisation of populism, and consider what the surprising elections mean for Spain, and for Europe. Find us on twitter @MCC_Brussels Follow Rodrigo @rodballester

For our inaugural episode, MCC Brussels' Frank Füredi and Jacob Reynolds discuss the recents riots in France with Philippe Lemoine. We look at what caused the violence, and what they can tell us about France and Europe more widely, from . Find us on twitter @MCC_Brussels Follow Philippe Lemoine @phl43 and find him on Substack https://www.philippelemoine.com/