NatCon Resumes In Brussels After Belgian High Court Intervention

Nigel Farage pictured during the NatCon National Conservatism Conference, at the Claridge, in Sint-Joost-ten-Node/ Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Brussels, Tuesday 16 April 2024. (Photo by JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE/Belga/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)

The National Conservatism Conference (NatCon) in Brussels is set to resume today following a Belgium high court ruling that comes after the event was abruptly halted by police Tuesday, under orders from the local mayor, sparking a contentious debate on free speech rights.

The conference is attended by UK figures like Brexiteering GB News host Nigel Farage and MP Suella Braverman, alongside the faces of the European right like Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán and French politician Eric Zemmour. The event, however, faced immediate opposition from city’s Mayor Emir Kir who expressed concerns about the views of some attendees.

“Among these personalities there are several particularly from the right-conservative, religious right and European extreme right,” he said. “The far right is not welcome.”

Despite the mayor’s interjection, the Conseil d’État, Belgium’s supreme administrative court, overturned the shutdown in a late-night emergency session. The court sided with ADF International, a conservative legal advocacy group, which argued that the conference’s abrupt closure infringed upon free speech principles.