Europe Tries to Shut Down a Conservative Conference

What’s happening: Officials attempted to shut down a conference of conservatives in Brussels, claiming that the meeting was “unwelcome” and that it would be a public disturbance.

• More: The National Conservatism Conference, or NatCon, is an annual meeting of European conservatives — a relatively low-key affair, consisting of speeches and panel discussions.

Why it matters: The latest attempt at censorship, in the capital of the European Union, demonstrates the magnitude of determination among European authorities to target conservative speech, and how brazen they are about their intentions.

Socialist shutdown: Authorities tried to block NatCon for weeks. The Socialist Party mayor pressured NatCon’s first choice of venue, forcing cancellation; after event organizers secured a second venue, it also reneged. Finally, a third facility agreed to host.

Not enough: The municipal mayor sent police to shut down the event, claiming it would be a public disturbance because of a left-wing protest scheduled the same day. But in an X post, he was clear; the “far-right” was not welcome.

Legal smackdown: Belgium’s Prime Minister spoke up in NatCon’s defense, and a Brussels court overruled the mayor, allowing the multi-day conference to continue. The decision came after weeks of pressure and a day of unconstitutional police interference.

Zoom out: This treads on the heels of the E.U.’s troubling slide toward censorship. European companies are compelled to remove online “disinformation” or face steep fines. Meanwhile, countries across the West are increasingly censoring citizens’ rights to free speech — especially speech expressing conservative ideas.