Belgian police shut down a gathering of far-right politicians and supporters in Brussels, citing concerns about public order. The National Conservative conference, organized by the conservative U.S. think tank the Edmund Burke Foundation, was met with protests by anti-fascist demonstrators who vowed to disrupt the event. Speakers at the conference expressed anti-migrant sentiment and criticized mainstream political parties, with some speakers advocating for a return to traditional conservative values. Police quietly shut down the conference by barring attendees from re-entering the venue if they left, after the owners of two previous locations had shied away from hosting the event due to the threat of protests.
The event featured prominent figures like Nigel Farage, who spoke against what he called a “new form of evil ideology”, and Polish lawmaker Ryszard Legutko, who criticized the European Union’s treaties and founding texts. There was a focus on preserving the nation-state in Europe, with speakers highlighting concerns over the influence of multinational organizations like the EU. French far-right figurehead Eric Zemmour was scheduled to speak but was turned away by police, while other politicians from Spain, Poland, the Netherlands, and the UK also featured on the agenda. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was scheduled to speak on the second day of the conference.
The conference was held under the theme of “National Conservatism, Preserving the Nation-State in Europe”, with speakers invoking the ideas of influential figures like Pope, Homer, Dostoyevsky, and Tocqueville. There was a focus on the idea of free speech, with speakers railing against what they saw as restrictions imposed by mainstream political parties and organizations. Some speakers likened modern liberal democracy to a form of “neo-Marxist authoritarianism” and emphasized the importance of standing up to their perceived enemies within mainstream political parties.
Despite being shut down by police, participants at the conference were encouraged to stay as long as they dared by the Chairman of the Edmund Burke Foundation, Yoram Hazony. The event highlighted the tensions between far-right nationalist movements and mainstream political parties in Europe, with speakers expressing confidence that their ideas were gaining traction among disenchanted voters. The shutting down of the conference reflects the broader challenges facing conservative movements in Europe ahead of the upcoming elections, with concerns over the rise of nationalist and anti-establishment sentiments among voters.
