Even on the other side, they see: national conservatism represents common sense.
Mainly organized by an American conservative foundation, together with European co-organizers, including Mathias Corvinus Collegium and Budapest's Danube Institute, the important international conference of conservatives, NatCon, will be held again in April. Leading politicians, including Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and intellectuals will discuss the importance of protecting national sovereignty and values and the practical steps, namely in the neighborhood of the European Parliament building.
One of the main organizers of the event, Anna Wellisz, vice president of the Edmund Burke Foundation in Washington, said in an interview with Kossuth Radio: her foundation is preparing for this year's NatCon, i.e. National Conservatism Conference, again in Brussels. This is also important because the European Parliament elections are coming, it is an election year in Europe and in the United States, and also because it is about Brussels.
When asked what is the main purpose of displaying the national conservative idea there, which is also the center of European progressives, Anna Wellisz answered the following:
"A few weeks ago, the topic of national conservatism was covered on the front page of the weekly newspaper Economist, and there were two articles about us in the newspaper. Practically identifying us as the greatest threat to the liberal-progressive paradigm”.
Speaking about the Economist article, Wellisz said: the paper "very kindly" now admits that conservatives are really not fascists and Nazis.
"They consider the national conservative idea a threat because it resonates with people. One article in the paper went so far as to suggest that the liberals should change their tone, trying to copy us and use our tone to appeal to Western voters, but offering themselves as the solution. So it is flattering that we are considered the greatest threat to them by those whom we otherwise consider the most serious threat to Western civilization. And we are proud of that," Wellisz emphasized.
The vice president of the Edmund Burke Foundation pointed out: Hungary plays a very important role among conservatives, some Hungarian intellectuals, such as Balázs Orbán, were mentioned by name in the Economist newspaper article together with their books, as were Yoram Hazony, Patrick Deneen, and several leading figures of the international right-wing intellectuals.
"The purpose of the Brussels conference is to protect national sovereignty. And this is not just rhetoric, because Europe is in a very, very dangerous moment.
In fact, it is the center of the worst progressive ideas today. The situation is worse than in the United States, where these ideas have taken root in universities but are slower to become part of the political system.
Meanwhile, the European Union is leading the way and using extremely undemocratic procedures in Brussels. The June election, which is barely a month and a half after our conference, can potentially decide whether Europe will have a chance to remain the Europe of nations," emphasized Wellisz, who "would like to think" that
they already see it on the other side: national conservatism somewhere represents common sense.
“Yes, it's about common sense. Because it is very difficult to explain to parents why it is better for the state to raise their children instead of them. Or why it's better if they don't have a say in what their child is taught at school. Or why the protection of cultural heritage, language and history is not important. Also, why wouldn't it be important to have national holidays that a country can remember together, and I could list them. Why shouldn't the army that protects the borders be important, or why would we want the people who already occupied the Iberian Peninsula more than a millennium ago to come en masse and take Europe in a different direction. While Europe tells us not to be Judeo-Christian, not to have values, and to be neutral. It is very common sense when a normal person says, "no more of this" and meanwhile there is a group that not only controls our universities, but also our primary and secondary schools. Which says one thing to children and another to others, and uses our own children against us. And they tell the children that they have the opportunity to get out of their own body, to choose another one, if they find something scary in it," Wellisz listed.
NatCon will be attended by Viktor Orbán, as well as other significant political figures. According to the vice-president of the Edmund Burke Foundation, this increases the importance of the event and also sends a message that they believe in the values they are talking about.
"Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is a great example, because he stands up and talks about the things that everyone else just murmurs quietly to themselves in a corner. We are really excited by his presence, one of the reasons for which is that the Hungarian EU presidency is approaching, and we are waiting to see what will happen. Certain "enlightened" Europeans have appeared who are looking for a way to deprive Hungary of this right. By the way, I just had a conversation with someone who has nothing to do with Hungary and was not involved in what we are talking about. He also talks about how much he recognizes what Hungary is doing, that it fights hard against those bigger than its own size. There are very few countries that have the courage to take a leading role and withstand the humiliation that comes with it," stated Wellisz, who also said:
Regarding Poland - which he wishes to have a non-disturbed government again - he has a feeling that if the previous leadership had made certain decisions with the same or similar courage as Hungary, then they would not have lost the election.
According to Wellisz, American voters also reward courage.
"Those who say what the average voter wants to say are admired. It is also an object of recognition if the voters see it and recognize that the treatment someone receives is as disproportionate and unfair as we see here today. The way in which they try to disable a person by means of the law, practically persecute them. And it's unbelievable how a serious billionaire has to defend himself in the lawsuits brought against him," Wellisz outlined the situation.
"I don't think the average voter would be able to withstand the kind of attacks the Republican candidate is facing, that's why the recognition.
I think a lot of people who are watching what's going on with Trump and wouldn't have voted for him otherwise will.
They see it as an attempt to take away their choice, and they see the legal proceedings against Trump as retaliation for standing up as a candidate and speaking out. Well, people, changing their minds for that reason alone, will vote for him. I know that there are naysayers who think that they will turn away from him because of the criminal charges, but at the moment it seems to be the exact opposite," Wellisz concluded the conversation.
Cover photo: Anna Wellisz, vice president for external affairs at the Washington-based Edmund Burke Foundation, head of the White House Writers' Group
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