This week marks a pivotal moment in the battle for Europe's future. The European Parliament has voted through the Green Omnibus—a sweeping deregulation package that undermines core environmental protections—with decisive support from the far right. Meanwhile, the Digital Omnibus is set to be unveiled on November 19th, threatening to dismantle fundamental GDPR protections under the guise of simplifying compliance. Behind both moves: unprecedented corporate lobbying and mounting U.S. political pressure on European governments.

In this episode of The Neomedieval Ledger, host Samuel Dempsey speaks with Professor Alberto Alemanno—Jean Monnet Professor of EU Law, Harvard Democracy Fellow, and one of Europe's most influential voices on democracy and citizen empowerment. They examine:

• The Green Omnibus and the death of the cordon sanitaire—how the EPP empowered the far right to kill core Green Deal protections

• The Digital Omnibus and the corporate lobbying campaign to gut GDPR

• Why the U.S. and MAGA movement view the EU—not China—as their primary adversary

• The coordinated ideological assault on Europe from U.S. mega-donors, tech billionaires, and think tanks like the Heritage Foundation and Orbán's MCC

• Ursula von der Leyen's leadership and use of political capital to enable these shifts

• Why the Council repeatedly blocks transnational lists and genuine EU-wide democracy

• The crisis of participation—and why Brussels insiders prefer policymaking in obscurity

• Whether European strategic autonomy is still achievable, or if dependence on the U.S. is now locked in

If you want clear, uncompromising analysis on the deregulation agenda reshaping Europe, the far-right's legislative leverage, and what real democratic reform would require—this conversation is essential listening.

Alberto Alemanno is founder of The Good Lobby, which works to democratize access to power in Brussels. Named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, an Ashoka Fellow, and Social Innovator of the Year by the Schwab Foundation, he was recognized by Politico Europe as one of the most influential voices in the EU and featured on Project Syndicate's inaugural list of Forward Thinkers in 2025.