July 12, 2026
Democracy, but make it a rerun
The European Oligarchy
EU power players are accused of forcing through a rejected plan — and commenters are furious
TLDR: Critics say European Union leaders pushed a controversial message-scanning plan back onto the table after it had already been resisted, fueling claims that rules are being bent to force the result they want. In the comments, readers responded with cynicism, revolt jokes, and even Pluto memes, arguing this was predictable and deeply undemocratic.
The article comes in swinging, accusing top European Union figures — especially European Parliament president Roberta Metsola — of acting less like public servants and more like a tiny club with outsized power. The big flashpoint is the return of Chat Control, a controversial proposal tied to scanning private messages for harmful content, after earlier resistance and failed votes. To critics, this wasn’t normal politics. It was a “keep voting until you get the answer you want” moment, and the comment section absolutely lit up over that idea.
That mood was summed up by one user who basically said: why is anyone shocked? In their view, this was never dead, only sleeping, and the latest approval was just the latest episode in a very predictable saga. Another commenter went full revolutionary-poetry mode, joking that it was time to “rehydrate The Tree of Liberty” — then immediately undercutting the menace with “Get your hoses ready,” turning rage into meme fuel. And then came the most delightfully nerdy comparison of all: one user said this whole mess reminded them of Pluto losing planet status, a deep-cut reference to a vote many people still think was rigged by timing and procedure.
So yes, the article is angry. But the comments are where the real drama lives: doom, cynicism, gallows humor, and a very online sense that the system always finds a way. The vibe is less "spirited democratic debate" and more “we’ve seen this trick before.”
Key Points
- •The article argues that power in major EU institutions is concentrated among a small group of leaders.
- •It names Roberta Metsola, Manfred Weber, and Ylva Johansson as figures involved in advancing a new vote on Chat Control.
- •The article states that Chat Control had previously received a negative resolution months earlier.
- •It claims supporters repeatedly reintroduced or restructured the proposal rather than accepting the earlier rejection.
- •The article says the proposal advanced through a second reading held shortly before the European Parliament’s summer recess.