Europe’s Patriots gathered recently in Madrid, in what I thought was a great display of strength, enthusiasm and clarity. The latter word—clarity—is exactly what has been sorely missing in our European continent in the past decades. It has been unclear what the purpose of the European Union is, what the difference in policies and values of the main EU Parliament groups is, what the direction Europe has taken is. Today, because of this lack of clarity, Europe is worse off, at the risk of being crushed by its enormous bureaucracy, suffocated by over-taxation, and blinded by cultural Marxism.
The many electoral outcomes on both sides of the Atlantic have provided much needed clarity and a sobering of the European electorate and their representatives. As an extension of this, it is refreshing to see a movement that promises to Make Europe Great Again—an undertaking I hope goes beyond the founding Patriots and eventually involves the ECR and those conservative segments within the EPP. It needs to become a solid, sustainable pan-European movement. In past articles on these pages, I have presented the idea of a coalition of the willing to save Europe. These groups should remember that what unites the right is bigger than what divides it. The electorate has already decided this—politicians should follow.
Hence, to begin with, MEGA should be about coalition building. The success of President Donald Trump was in uniting the various factions of the Republican Party and groups outside of it. Trump significantly expanded the Republican voter base by appealing to blue-collar workers in Rust Belt states, many of whom traditionally voted Democrat. He appealed to Latino and Black voters and the majority of the independents, who may have disliked the President, but overwhelmingly preferred his policies. MEGA should do the same in order to become a durable majority in the Continent. It should invite and welcome all segments of society that are against the massive overreach from Brussels, the over-regulation and taxation and the absurdities of Green New Deal, gender and climate insanities. Most people want common sense policies and that is what the focus should be.
Secondly, it needs a disciplined, coherent messaging and approach. A disciplined approach means sticking to a consistent message across all platforms and spokespeople. Trump's repeated use of phrases like ‘Make America Great Again’, ‘drain the swamp’, and ‘America First’ created a strong, recognizable brand that resonated with his base. The people shouting this message in every corner of Europe should be charismatic, likable and unimpeachable in their resumes and careers. The focus should be on three or four key issues, like illegal immigration, economic issues, cultural Marxism. There needs to be a certain level of control over the narrative. This coalition is the one that needs to set the tone, the topics and drive the public discourse—that is why it also needs to avoid scandals.
‘Trump's use of social media was revolutionary in its directness, impact, and volume, setting a new standard for political communication’
The third important point is social media and podcasts. While the messaging can be perfected, it needs the right mediums to be transmitted in an effective way. The mainstream media will never be on the side of this Movement and MEGA needs to make peace with it. As such, making use of alternative and social media, just as Trump did in the past decade and especially last year, is a necessity. Trump's use of social media was revolutionary in its directness, impact, and volume, setting a new standard for political communication. It underscored the power of these platforms in shaping political narratives, engaging with voters, and even in policymaking. MEGA leaders need to do the same.
MEGA needs to lay out a clear, optimistic, common-sense vision for Europe. For ages, the Old Continent was the centre of the World. It gave our planet irreplaceable art, fair judicial systems, a political system that most countries yearn to implement. The Greek and Roman philosophers of antiquity, the warriors of the Middle Ages, the Christian faith and its teachings are studied and followed today all over the world. Europe had Empires that conquered the world, from Alexander the Great to the Roman Empire, to Napoleon and the British Empire.
On the other side, it was the battlefield of fierce and bloody wars, for conquest, petty rivalries and ideological differences. It is also the continent of deeply unfair decisions, absolute rulers, terrible massacres, behind-the-scenes deals and arrangements among certain countries that hurt others. It is the continent of rivalries that run so deep that even after millennia they have not been forgotten.
It has been the continent of profound contrasts, of pride and prejudice, of magnificent achievements and deserved failures, of generosity and mercilessness. Thus, in a word, it was alive! Yet, for some time now Europe has slowly been losing its relevance. It is withering away and living with an oxygen mask. MEGA needs to emphasize that we can go back to being the centre of art, innovation, entrepreneurship and geopolitics. It needs to clearly project it and make it so that every citizen envisions it. Low taxes, less regulations, unleashing the innovative and economic capacities of all citizens, law and order, checks and balances need to be front and centre in this alternative.
Lastly, it needs a great ground game and organization. President Trump’s movement succeeded because of direct engagement, rallies, and grassroots organizing. MEGA should mobilize activists in every country, organizing town halls, community events, and door-to-door outreach to translate digital engagement into real-world influence.
The centre-right and conservative parties have the chance to develop this into a great movement that can actually save Europe and the European project. They first need the will to unite, and subsequently the vision, clarity and hard work to put their ideas in practice, winning the hearts and minds of every European.
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