Talk of the dangers of the monsters of bureaucracy have long been in vogue in the halls of power in Brussels. Bureaucracy and the many of the common rules that both the European Commission and lawmakers have spent decades formulating, often with a reference to markets, is now suddenly cast as the enemy of competitiveness.
It is clear something has happened; with the bureaucracy that Brussels have long been famous for, suddenly being branded monstrous by those that fed and created it – a shift has taken place in the EU.
To find out what happened and if the bureaucracy has suddenly turned bad, almost overnight Nordic LEFT MEPs Per Clausen (DK) and Hanna Gedin (SE) decided to confront the Bureaucracy Monsters (Bürokraiemonster) head-on, by inviting them to a debate inside the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
Here the two MEPs, working across rules-heavy committees such as those on Internal Market, Employment & Social Affairs, Industry, Research and Energy, and Environment, Climate and Food Safety, engaged the scary-looking monsters in filmed debate, which is now released, just in time for Halloween.
About debating bureaucracy and de-regulation with monsters, Danish MEP Per Clausen said:
I know some may call it absurd to discuss the bureaucracy and deregulation with people dressed as monsters. But, honestly, it turned out to be a lot let absurd than some of the arguments used by the Right in their delay, dilute and delete-crusade against meaningful rules.
Swedish MEP, and the LEFT Group’s Internal Market coordinator, Hanna Gedin, added that:
The monsters weren’t scary at all, actually. Quite frankly, there are much worse monsters right here in the parliament.
The bureaucratic benefit?
The discussion quickly turned to a topic that is often over-looked in discussions in the EU these days: Namely the benefits that bureaucracy brings to European citizens, by protecting consumers, climate and the environment from, among other things, pollution and corporate greed. As Hanna Gedin put it after the debate:
The bureaucracy monsters are telling the truth. Climate laws and labour laws are there for a reason; to protect our environment and to make sure everyone has good working conditions and salaries that you can afford a good life with.
Amongst the topic of discussion was also how some of those that now crusade against rules are very selective, and even happy to continue to introduce their own silly new rules. Per Clausen comments:
It is almost funny how many of those who now claim to be against bureaucracy and think we have too many silly rules, earlier this month were all to happy to vote in favour of a truly silly proposal to stop the use of terms such as “tofu-sausage” or “veggie-burger”. If I am to choose between protection from dangerous chemicals – or having to see a tofu-sausage in the supermarket, I know what I will choose.
Watch the monster-debate
The engagement with the Bureaucracy monsters was recorded in one of the European Parliament’s studios, and is now available to watch in different places – including hereunder. Highlights can also be found on various social media platforms, including those of MEPs Clausen and Gedin.
More about the Bureaucracy Monsters
To learn more about the Bureaucracy Monsters and their activities, visit their website and see their different projects.
More about the debate
You can read more about the debate with the Bürokratiemonster(s) here:
- Tages Spiegel, 3rd November 2025: EU-Parlament: Halloween-Besuch von Bürokratiemonstern
- Agence Europe, 31st October 2025: Two MEPs deconstruct discourse on bureaucratic monstrosity
(Re)watch the trailer
In the week leading up to the publication of the debate, the MEPs from Denmark’s Enhedslisten and Sweden’s Vänsterpartiet also released a trailer to generate attention about the debate.
The trailer can be seen here.
