In the turbulent landscape of modern politics, conservatives have often found themselves grappling with the delicate balance between ideological purity and pragmatic compromise. Yet, history shows that conservative victories are not forged through dilution of principles but through steadfast adherence to core values. Nowhere is this truth more evident than in the plight of British conservatives, whose recent electoral results underscore the perils of straying from principles.
This year has been full of lessons for conservatives on both sides of the Atlantic. There is an obvious need and constant request by voters everywhere for common sense conservative policies. The European elections showed this quite clearly by producing for the first time an alternative, centre-right majority in the European Parliament. Voters in France made their concerns and preferences quite clear by choosing to support Jordan Bardella’s National Rally. In all these cases, the non-representative elites chose to ignore the popular verdict.
In Hungary, Viktor Orbán continues to govern because he delivers on what he promises, and the latter are based on what the voters actually want. Conservative policies have been quite successful for the people and politically rewarding for those that implement them.
The most obvious example is the United States, where voters gave an overwhelming mandate to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Mr Trump promised an end to the madness of wokeism and cancel culture—the most recent manifestation of the old foe of mankind, communism. He vowed to return his country to normalcy, unleash the economic potential within every American and restore law and order in many parts of the country where unchecked illegal migration has enabled cartels and criminals to go inside the US.
Meanwhile for British conservatives, the erosion of electoral support mirrors a departure from the principles that once underpinned their success. The disheartening trajectory, reminiscent of the landslide defeat suffered in 1997, underscores the urgent need for a recalibration—a return to the bedrock of conservative philosophy, which has proven to be quite successful in the past.
In the face of an increasingly aggressive left, conservatives must resist the temptation to emulate their adversaries. The recent surge of wokeism and the ill-conceived tenets of Modern Monetary Theory serve as cautionary tales, highlighting the pernicious consequences of abandoning conservative principles in favour of leftist agendas.
A crucial lesson gleaned from the annals of conservative history is the imperative of unity amidst diversity. Conservatives cannot win when they are divided. This is obvious throughout Europe, in the United Kingdom or in the United States. The right’s rich tapestry of ideologies, rooted in a reverence for individual liberties and a commitment to tradition, must not devolve into fractious infighting.
‘Conservatives must resist the temptation to emulate their adversaries’
Communism is still on the march through centralised decision-making and cultural Marxism. It needs a coherent strategy on the right to fight it off. The fusion of supply-side economics and cultural conservatism, the union of cultural conservatives, traditionalists, libertarians, anti-communists, epitomized by the legacies of Reagan and Thatcher, offers a formidable alternative to the progressive juggernaut. It is true there are subtle differences, but what unites the Right is stronger than what divides it.
While the left is united and, on the march, we cannot afford to get distracted by petty squabbles or to fall prey to the allure of the dangerous left-wing rhetoric. Only those who persevere around their principles can win. We saw it in Argentina with Milei, in Italy with the united right currently in government, in Sweden and Finland, and elsewhere. Meanwhile, where the right has been divided, and has fallen victim to the left-wing pressure, such as in Spain, in many cases in France, the right has lost.
The recipe for victory lies not in capitulation to leftist agendas but in a resolute commitment to conservative principles. By articulating a compelling narrative that celebrates the virtues of liberty, tradition, and individual empowerment, conservatives can reignite the flame of conservatism, paving the way for a triumphant resurgence on the political stage. This is precisely why Prime Minister Viktor Orbán won a new mandate in his last election, and why Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is more popular today than when she won the election.
Meanwhile, recently we saw a massive defeat for British conservatives Many in both media and politics who want only one version of the right (the one that bows to the left and constantly loses) say that the Labour Party won because Conservatives went too far right. This could not be further from the truth. The results of the elections show that the British electorate is still conservative. The Conservative Party lost because it went left, raised taxes, increased spending and public debt, did not address the housing crises and did not stop illegal immigration, ultimately betraying Brexit and what the 2019 voters wanted.
The Conservative Party was voted out for betraying the trust of its voters, squandering a large majority given to complete Brexit and for imposing a prime minister who was not elected neither by the base of the party nor by the general voters. Hence, many former Tory voters preferred to stay at home or vote for other parties. But they did not choose Labour, which should be a comforting thought to the Tory minority. This is a warning for all centre-right forces across Europe and in the United States. This is also a warning for the European People’s Party in the European Parliament which in many cases has been known to drift leftwards, falling to the pressures of the Socialists and Greens.
The path to conservative victory is paved with unwavering fidelity to principle. Europe wants centre – right governments applying conservative values and policies to today’s problems. As such, parties on the right must resist the allure of ideological compromise and instead embrace the timeless values that have historically propelled them to victory. I believe we are at a turning point in the West with regards to the war against cultural Marxism. This has come as a result of the perseverance of conservatives on both sides of the Atlantic who never wavered in their beliefs and goals.
In a landscape characterized by ideological diversity and leftist aggression, conservatism continuously offers a beacon of hope—it offers a principled alternative that celebrates the virtues of liberty, tradition, and individual empowerment.
