Brussels venue withdraws from Orbán conference

 

Brussels venue withdraws from Orbán conference

 

Concert Noble will no longer host NatCon conference next week.

 

APRIL 13, 2024 3:53 PM CET

BY SUZANNE LYNCH

https://www.politico.eu/article/brussels-concert-noble-viktor-orban-conference-mcc-natcon/

 

It was billed as a glittering gathering of right-wing political figures from across Europe. But the future of the National Conservative conference due to take place in Brussels next week is in doubt after the host venue pulled out of the event.

 

Concert Noble, an upmarket events space in the heart of the European Quarter, has announced it  will no longer host the NatCon conference scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

Among those slated to attend are Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, former British Home Secretary Suella Braverman, former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, and French politician Eric Zemmour. 

 

MCC Brussels, a Hungarian government-backed think tank and part organizer of the event, said a search is now on for an alternative venue. Frank Furedi, executive director of MCC Brussels, denounced the decision by the venue to cancel the event.

 

“What has happened in these last few days represents nothing less than a crisis for free speech and political expression for all of Europe,” Furedi said. “It is an absolute tragedy that cancel culture has been welcomed into Brussels in the very heart of the European Union. Everyone, regardless of political affiliation, should be concerned about what is happening here,” he said.

 

“The battle for free speech is now taking place, and all people of goodwill should be prepared to fight for all our rights to free thought and expression. We must tell the world they tried to cancel us in Brussels, but freedom will prevail,” Furedi said.

 

The Brussels Times had reported that anti-fascist groups had called on the venue to reconsider and were planning to protest the event.

 

NatCon has emerged as a player on the international think-tank circuit in recent years, and has a strong transatlantic focus. Next week’s gathering in Brussels was due to be its ninth event, with a further conference scheduled to take place in Washington this summer.

 

Previous attendees include figures like Florida Governor Ron de Santis and U.S. Senator Josh Hawley.

 

The conference is run by the Edmund Burke Foundation, a Washington-based think tank founded in 2019 with the aim of advancing conservative ideology.

 

The theme of the Brussels conference is “Preserving the Nation-State in Europe,” with participants due to discuss what they see as the “challenges” to national sovereignty posed by the European Union, particularly in the context of the forthcoming European elections this summer.

 

The National Conservatism Conference: Preserving the Nation-State in Europe

https://nationalconservatism.org/natcon-brussels-2/about/

 

NatCon brings together public figures, journalists, scholars, and students who understand that the past and future of conservatism are inextricably tied to the idea of the nation, to the principle of national independence, and to the revival of the unique national traditions that alone have the power to bind a people together and bring about their flourishing.

 

The challenges to national sovereignty posed by the EU’s drive towards ever-closer union create a unique opportunity for political conservatism to present an alternative vision for Europe. The upcoming EU parliamentary elections add urgency to the task of articulating the priorities of the voters and demonstrating the relevance of Conservative ideals for the future of the nations of Europe.

 

The National Conservatism Conference is a project of the Edmund Burke Foundation, a public affairs institute founded in January 2019 with the aim of strengthening the principles of national conservatism in Western and other democratic countries.