MCC Brussels, a Hungarian government-backed think tank and co-organizer of the event, said a search was now underway to find an alternative venue. Frank Furedi, executive director of MCC Brussels, denounced the venue’s decision to cancel the event.
“What has happened in recent days represents nothing less than a crisis of freedom of speech and political expression across Europe,” Furedi said. “It is an absolute tragedy that cancel culture has been welcomed into Brussels, into 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 on and all people of good will must be prepared to fight for all of our rights to free thought and expression. We must tell the world that they tried to cancel us in Brussels, but freedom will prevail,” Furedi said.
The Brussels Times had reported that anti-fascist groups had asked the venue to reconsider its decision and were planning to protest the event.
NatCon has become a player on the international think tank circuit in recent years and has a strong transatlantic focus. Next week’s meeting in Brussels was to be the ninth event, with another conference planned in Washington this summer.
Previous attendees include the likes of Florida Governor Ron de Santis and U.S. Senator Josh Hawley.
The conference is organized 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 expected to discuss what they see as the “challenges” to national sovereignty posed by the European Union, particularly in the context of the next European elections this summer. .
Politico
