There was significant outrage over the decision made by the mayor of the Brussels district of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode to use police force in an attempt to ban the National Conservatism Conference (NatCon). This right-wing gathering, featuring speeches by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Brexit architect Nigel Farage, among others, was scheduled for 16–17 April under the motto Preserving the Nation-State in Europe. Despite the order from Socialist district mayor Emir Kir the police were ultimately unable to completely block the conference. Instead, they opted for a gradual shutdown approach, permitting those already inside to remain while preventing others from entering once the police blockade was lifted. The conference is set to continue today.
Just how far Emir Kir has gone is shown by the fact that Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, who can hardly be accused of sympathy for conservatism or right-wing politics, has called the decision of the Brussels mayor unacceptable on X.
‘What happened at the Claridge today is unacceptable. Municipal autonomy is a cornerstone of our democracy but can never overrule the Belgian constitution guaranteeing the freedom of speech and peaceful assembly since 1830. Banning political meetings is unconstitutional. Full stop.’
The strained relationship between the Belgian PM and Hungary underscores the significance of De Croo’s comment. This tension was particularly evident following the historic EU summit in early December last year, during which Viktor Orbán exited the room during the vote to permit other member states to support Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations. After the summit the Belgian PM was notably critical of Orbán, stating bluntly: ‘If you participate in the decision, which means you don’t veto it, then you simply have to accept it afterward.’
Shortly after the events, an English translation of Emir Kir’s order was published, revealing that it was a purely politically motivated action, with no connection to the primary justification of stopping the conference due to potential public disorder. ‘That vision (national conservatism – ed.) is not only ethically conservative (e.g. hostility to legalized abortion, same-sex unions, etc.) but also focused on the defense of “national sovereignty”, which implies, among other things, an “Eurosceptic” attitude.’
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also spoke out against the Brussels’ district mayor’s decision. ‘It’s very clear that cancelling events or preventing attendance and non-platforming speakers is damaging to free speech and democracy as a result. It’s very clear that free debate and exchange of views is vital. Even when you disagree,’ stated a spokesperson for the British PM.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has also condemned this restriction of freedom of expression. ‘What is happening in Brussels leaves us in disbelief and dismay. The mayor of one of the Belgian capital’s municipalities has banned a conference, which is scheduled to be attended by heads of government, national and European parliamentarians,’ wrote Meloni’s political group in the European Parliament, the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), in a recent post. ‘I immediately asked Prime Minister Alexander De Croo of Belgium to follow up on what was happening, and I thank him for his timely and clear stance against the hateful oppression of freedom of expression taking place in Brussels,’ the post continued.
Emir Kir’s inexplicable decision could serve as a trump card for the right ahead of the upcoming European Parliament elections. It represents a blatant example of censoring and suppressing opinions disliked by the left, offering voters a
glimpse into the kind of opinion dictatorship
that could ensue if the right fails to secure victory in June. This development is particularly noteworthy, especially considering the constant accusations levelled against Hungary in Brussels regarding threats to freedom of the press and expression.
Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó aptly remarked in a Facebook post: ‘From now on, no one in Brussels can sincerely utter the phrases: freedom of expression, freedom of speech, freedom of the press…’
Yesterday, Viktor Orbán also condemned the decision of the Brussels’ district mayor on X.
‘The Belgian police decided to shut down the @NatConTalk conference in #Brussels, just two hours after it started. I guess they couldn’t take free speech any longer. The last time they wanted to silence me with the police was when the Communists set them on me in ‘88. We didn’t give up then and we will not give up this time either!’
The attempt to halt the conference was not without precedent. Last week, progressive liberal media outlets and left-wing politicians in Belgium, spearheaded by Brussels Mayor Philippe Close, launched an unprecedented campaign against NatCon. Consequently, the organizers were forced to change venues twice, as pressure from the left caused previously agreed-upon venues to withdraw their support.
Late last night the highest court of Belgium, the Conseil d’État, annulled Emir Kir’s order, allowing the conference to proceed today without any disruption. In the decision, considered a victory for free speech, the court decided that ‘Article 26 of the Constitution [of Belgium] grants everyone the right to assemble peacefully,’ and although the mayor has the authority to make police ordinances in case of ‘serious disturbance of the public peace or other unforeseen events,’ in this case there was no such threat. The Court reasoned that ‘it does not seem possible to infer from the contested decision that a peace-disrupting effect is attributed to the congress itself’. Rather, as the decision notes, ‘the threat to public order seems to be derived purely from the reactions that its organization might provoke among opponents’.
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