Summary of "Brussels, my love? The EPP congress overshadowed by power outage and protests"

Episode summary

The episode examined the European People’s Party (EPP) congress in Valencia and its wider political implications for Europe: the EPP’s dominant position across EU institutions, the compromises required to form governing majorities, and criticism that retaining power has become an end in itself.

Critics described the EPP as a “governing machine” focused on staying in power rather than pursuing a coherent, transformative policy agenda.

Main points

EPP’s position and dilemma

The EPP is the largest force in EU politics (largest group in the European Parliament, leading several national governments, and with Ursula von der Leyen heading the Commission) but lacks an outright majority and therefore needs coalition partners to govern.
Debate at the congress and among guests centered on whether the EPP is defending mainstream conservative principles or increasingly relying on, and accommodating, right‑wing populists to build majorities—eroding the traditional “firewall” between the center‑right and the far right.
Some critics argued the EPP has become focused on retaining power rather than offering a future‑oriented, transformative conservative program.

Valencia congress: optics, disruptions and controversies

The congress was disrupted by a widespread power outage and large public protests in Valencia. Residents demanded accountability from regional authorities over their handling of catastrophic floods months earlier, accusing them of inadequate warnings and slow recovery support.
Hosting the EPP congress in Valencia was widely criticized as poor political optics given the recent disaster; some delegates said EPP leadership should have engaged directly with flood victims.
Manfred Weber was re‑elected EPP president and framed the main threat as an authoritarian/populist wave. He said he would work with “serious” conservative parties but not with extremist forces such as Marine Le Pen or the AfD. Commentators questioned how consistent that stance is with actual coalition choices.
Dolors Montserrat (Catalan MEP) was elected EPP secretary general and presented the party as offering pragmatic, non‑populist solutions; critics countered that the party’s priority appears to be holding power rather than pursuing transformational policy.

Climate, industry and the political divide

Tensions emerged over climate policy: some EPP speakers criticized an “ideologically driven” climate agenda, which drew anger in Valencia given the visible consequences of extreme weather and the flood deaths.
Greens and liberals urged that climate change is an urgent, visible threat requiring bold green and economic transitions.
There was disagreement over industrial pain points: some blamed the Green Deal for industry problems, while others pointed to energy prices and geopolitical shocks (for example, the war in Ukraine) and warned that slowing the green transition would be a mistake.

Friedrich Merz and German leadership in Europe

Friedrich Merz, poised to become Germany’s chancellor, signaled a willingness for stronger German engagement in European and foreign affairs and to take more initiative in Brussels.
Panelists were skeptical about how much Merz can deliver: his domestic majority is narrow, he governs in coalition with the Social Democrats (which will force policy concessions), and Germany needs to tackle domestic economic stagnation to be an effective European leader.
Some noted improved chemistry between Merz and Emmanuel Macron compared with previous German leadership, but both leaders face domestic vulnerabilities.

Wider concerns

Guests warned that pragmatic cooperation with some national conservative or right‑leaning parties risks empowering hard‑right actors in the European Parliament and at national level.
Renew and Green guests argued for a center coalition (liberals, greens, social democrats) to pursue future‑oriented industrial and climate policies; they portrayed center‑right critics as offering continuity with the past rather than credible modernizing plans.

Presenters and contributors (as mentioned in the programme)

Stefan Grober — host
Richard Shank — research fellow, MCC Brussels (guest)
Lena Schilling — Austrian MEP, Greens (guest)
Herbani / An Rebrandi — Dutch / Renew Europe MEP (Renew group guest; name appears with transcription variations)
Mave McMahon — on‑site reporter in Valencia
Shandorzer — Euronews reporter (interviewer of Manfred Weber; name appears in subtitles)
Manfred Weber — EPP president (interviewee)
Dolors Montserrat — Catalan MEP, elected EPP secretary general (interviewee/speaker)
Friedrich Merz — German politician, incoming chancellor (speech/interview subject)
Ursula von der Leyen — President of the European Commission (mentioned)
Other figures referenced: Viktor Orbán, Giorgia Meloni, Marine Le Pen, AfD, Antonio Tajani