Our guests this week include Austrian socialist MEP Andreas Schieder, Marta Mucznik, EU senior analyst with the International Crisis Group and Riho Terras, Estonian MEP with the European People’s Party. 

The panel reflect on the first visit this week by NATO’s new Secretary General to the European Parliament.

Mark Rutte, who was Dutch Prime Minister for years, is courting EU institutions and political parties as he seeks to improve relations and boost defence investment. Riho Terras, a former army general, applauds his ambition.

“If Putin wins in Ukraine, then we will have 40 million angry Ukrainians against us and pretty soon we will face the same threat”, said Terras, adding that Kyiv is as close to Berlin as it is to Tallinn.

The panel also took a deep dive into Austrian politics, which, five months after elections, are in a mess. After Karl Nehammer resigned earlier this month, far-right firebrand Herbert Kickl, known for his anti-EU, anti-NATO, xenophobic views, looks set to become chancellor, with his party dominating a coalition with the centre-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP).

Andreas Schieder, who was involved in the initial coalition negotiations, blamed ÖVP for cosying up to the far right, and that the truth about the dire state of Austrian finances only came out after the elections.

“Conservatives always say the others are guilty, that we have now to accept the extreme right”, Schieder said.

Finally, the panel discussed media trends for 2025 and the dwindling trust in mainstream news sources.

Marta Mucznik said she could never replace her TV or newspaper.

“Social media will never replace traditional, conventional media … It provides no context, it proliferates fake news,” she said. “It’s propaganda, it’s not information.”

Watch ‘Brussels, my love?’ in the player above.