Dutch political commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek didn’t hold back at this year’s CPAC Hungary, delivering a fiery speech that painted a grim picture of Europe’s political climate. In her view, the continent isn’t teetering on the edge of civil war — it’s in a situation far more dire.
“In a civil war, at least two sides fight,” Vlaardingerbroek told the audience. “Here in Europe, only one side is — and it’s certainly not the native white population.” But she was quick to add that many Europeans remain deeply uneasy with the current trajectory.
Her growing profile has only fueled more controversy. Since her viral CPAC speech last year — which reached 30 million viewers on X and was even shared by Elon Musk — Vlaardingerbroek has become a louder voice against mass immigration and political censorship. This year, she tackled the systemic failure of right-wing parties across Europe to enact meaningful immigration reform.
Citing her own country as an example, she pointed to Geert Wilders’ party, which secured a record 25% of the vote in the 2023 Dutch elections. Despite campaigning on closing the borders, Wilders has struggled to deliver. “Our government boasts about having the toughest immigration policy ever,” she said. “Yet 130,000 migrants entered last year alone.”
This frustrating pattern, according to Vlaardingerbroek, plays out across Europe. Right-wing parties may win big at the polls, but forming effective governments proves elusive. She outlined three common outcomes: centrist parties refuse to form coalitions, forcing right-wing parties to the sidelines; coalition agreements water down policies beyond recognition; or, increasingly, European courts strike down immigration measures as violations of EU law or human rights conventions.
But Vlaardingerbroek warned that the problem runs deeper than stalled immigration reform. She argued that Europe’s legal system now aggressively targets dissenters — politicians, activists, and even ordinary citizens. “Critics of the regime are being arrested, prosecuted, and jailed,” she said. In the UK, she accused Labour leader Keir Starmer of pushing sentencing guidelines that would punish white men more harshly — calling it a form of modern apartheid.
She also recounted a recent crackdown on German activists attending a “Remigration Summit” in Italy. After defying a German travel ban, they were arrested at the airport upon their return. Their crime? Attending a conference the German government deemed reputationally damaging.
Vlaardingerbroek herself has become a surveillance target. “Just weeks ago, Apple notified me that my phone was hit with mercenary spyware,” she revealed. Such spyware, originally developed for counter-terrorism, can remotely access cameras, microphones, and personal data. “This is what happens when a law-abiding citizen challenges the system.”
She ended with a stark warning: democracy in Europe, she said, is a hollow shell. “Our leaders preach peace but push for war with Russia. They claim to protect democracy by banning right-wing parties. They promote free speech by censoring dissent. It’s Orwell’s 1984 in action.”
Vlaardingerbroek’s closing salvo was aimed squarely at European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “An unelected leader promoting mass immigration, war, and corruption — this is what’s destroying Europe.”
