New Forum Launched to Shake Up European Debate and Discussion

MCC Brussels, a new think tank and educational enterprise launched today, promises to be a new forum for European debate and to shake up the discussion on the big issues that face the continent. An initiative of MCC (Mathias Corvinus Collegium) , the leading Hungarian knowledge centre and talent institution, the forum comes at a time of unprecedented political polarization, promoting discussion on relevant public issues and providing a home for genuine policy deliberation and in-depth exploration of the issues of our time.

Central to the group's mission is to bring young students to the focal point of European policy discussions in Brussels. The Centre will offer a challenging and stimulating environment for visiting young students to acquaint themselves with Brussels' policy and decision-making processes. It will provide short educational courses and seminars on matters pertaining to European thought and European Union policymaking with the goal of teaching students how to think rather than what to think.

Professor Frank Furedi, Executive Director of MCC Brussels, said “The global pandemic and the war in Ukraine have exposed as outdated the old assumptions on how the world works or should work and call on us to learn from history and one another. Issues we once thought settled are now open to question and Europeans need to embrace a spirit of open and honest discussion, inquiry, and debate to grapple with the hot-button issues of the day. Questions related to the environment, peace, the economy, energy, education, migration, and social harmony all call for the most rigorous debate and discernment so we can forge a way forward for the European continent. The new forum is committed to asking the hard questions and working with people of goodwill from all persuasions to find solutions to our most pressing problems.”

Balázs Orbán, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of MCC, said of the launch “I am delighted that MCC decided to invest in our shared future for a better Europe by providing an opportunity for intellectuals and experts to debate and assess the conceptual and normative status of European policy making. Drawing on MCC’s outstanding pool of expertise, it will attempt to acquaint European policymakers with its distinct approach toward the political, socioeconomic, and cultural issues of our time. As neighbours, we need to talk and listen. This is the only antidote to the spectre of political polarization that haunts politics today.”

Professor. Dr. Werner J. Patzelt, research director for MCC Brussels, said, “What will it mean to be European in the coming years? In a world that will be increasingly defined by multi-polarity and a shift from the occident, this question is of key interest to all countries in the EU. We need to start a broad conversation, with the public at its heart, about the future of Europe, and of the EU, and how Europe relates to questions of subsidiarity. Researching these issues, and feeding the results into public and political discourses, is the important mission of MCC Brussels."

The offices of MCC Brussels will be located at Spaces City Centre (13 Rue des Poissonniers, Brussels 1000) and the lecture room is at Regus Schuman (6 Schuman roundabout).

The inaugural event to launch will be a mini-conference entitled “Towards European Renewal”. It will be held in Brusells on November 15^th 2022, from 13.00 to 18.00 followed by a brief reception. Preregistration is required and more details will be released next week. Three sessions will grapple with the economic and social challenges that society faces now to answer the question “Where is Europe going in an age of global disorder?” Speakers include Nigel Biggar, Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at the University of Oxford; Thomas Fazi, leading Italian political economist and author; Dr. Monika Gabriela Bartoszewicz, Polish Academic and Associate Professor at the Arctic University of Norway; and the founding team for the MCC Brussels.

About MCC Brussels

At a time of unprecedented political polarization, MCC Brussels, will serve as a forum for European debate and is committed to providing a home for genuine policy deliberation and in-depth exploration of the issues of our time. It will provide an opportunity for intellectuals and experts to debate and assess the conceptual and normative status of European policymaking.Drawing on MCC’s outstanding pool of expertise, it will attempt to influence European policymakers with its distinct approach toward the political, socio-economic, and cultural issues of our time.

 The Centre will offer a challenging and stimulating environment for visiting young students to acquaint themselves with the policy and decision-making process in Brussels. It will provide short educational courses and seminars on matters pertaining to European thought and EU policymaking.