NatCon Brussels 2024: Mainstreaming the Radical Right

A look at those behind NatCon after a controversial day when police tried to close the event

🧵 16-17 April is NatCon Brussels 2024

While supportive RW outlets will describe this as a conferencd based on traditional conservatism, it's really a vehicle for mainstreaming the radical right anchored in christian nationalism, the driving force behind culture wars

2/ Reminder of last years NatCon UK

Nationalism should have a bad name because Germany “mucked up a bit”
The “pornification” of flags
The contraceptive pill is a form of transhumanism

3/ NatCon demonstrates the international networks that makes up the radical right, Orban and the US

UK based speakers are Braverman, Farage, Cates, 
Free Speech Union's James Orr, Frank Ferudi, Mathew Goodwin
RCP/LM/Spiked Mick Hume
Melanie Phillips 

https://bylinetimes.com/2024/04/09/the-orbanisation-of-british-politics-farage-and-braverman-headline-with-hungarian-prime-minister-at-national-conservatism-conference/

4/Other speakers include ADF International executive director Paul Coleman 
Southern Poverty Law Center label ADF a hate group

EU TOTI report identified them as a key part of an anti-gender network funding religious extremism to roll back reproductive and sexuality rights

5/ In the last couple of years ADF International have ramped up their spending in the UK

6/ More detailed look at the TOTI report on the Europe wide network with funding from US and Russia ⬇️

7/ Many of the EU politicians speaking at NatCon Brussels 2024 come from the European Conservatives and Reformists Party grouping, in Sept 2023 they held a conference with many members of the anti gender network

Cates also spoke at this conference

The European Congress of Families and The International Organization for the FamilyKaram Bales delves into a conference with ties to a Russian backed anti-gender networkhttps://bylinetimes.com/2024/03/11/the-european-congress-of-families-and-the-international-organization-for-the-fa

8/ Also speaking at NatCon Brussels is Gloria Thurnund Taxis, German aristocrat and associate of Bannon

And ultra-conservative Cardinal Mueller who was removed from post by the Pope

9/ Here is GTT and Mueller with Brain Brown and members of SCOTUS,9 months before Roe Vs Wade was repealed

Brian Brown leads WCF/IOF and was a headline speaker at the ECF conference

10/ Brain Brown was one of the key organisers named in the TOTI report on religious extremism linking the US to Russia with his ties to sanctioned oligarchs
He is also a member of the Council for National Policy

Council For National Policy - Monitoring InfluenceThe Council for National Policy is a networking group for conservative donors and activists, right-wing religious extremists, and lawmakers.https://www.monitoringinfluence.org/org/the-council-for-national-policy/

11/ It's worth noting the role some of the CNP played in Jan 6

12/ Understanding the kind of policy platform NatCon seeks to embolden we have Orbans Hungary and the Project 2025 agenda for Trump 2.0

Kevin Roberts, a Project 2025 author spoke at NatCon UK last year

Project 2025: The Latest Plot Against America“Project 2025” has been winning an increasing amount of attention in its own right, but it’s actually the opening salvo of “The 2025 Presidential Transition Project.” This comprehensive playbook was p…https://washingtonspectator.org/project-2025-the-latest-plot-against-america/

13/ NatCon is an initiative by the Edmund Burke Foundation founded 2019 by Israeli-American Yoram Hayony and figures from US jlike Christopher DeMuth former president of the Heritage Foundation

A look at those behind previous NatCons

Suella Braverman to Address Radical 'National Conservatism' Event With Ties to US RightSuella Braverman to appear at National Conservativism Conference alongside Ron DeSantis, with ties to Christian nationalism and US radicalshttps://bylinetimes.com/2023/04/05/suella-braverman-to-address-radical-national-conservatism-event-with-ties-to-us-right/

14/ NatCon was set up with support of Orbans political advisor, and Peter Thiel, billionaire Republican backer and founder of controversial tech company Palantir was a signatory of their founding statement of principles

MPs links to Christian Nationalism RevealedKaram Bales looks at the senior British Conservatives appearing at the National Conservatism Conference with its international right wing network, from Peter Thiel to Viktor Orbánhttps://bylinetimes.com/2023/03/10/mps-links-to-christian-nationalism-revealed/

15/ James Orr of FSU is the UK chair of the EBF, with Jordan Peterson he was involved in approaching Thiel for support on an initiative started at Cambridge University what would become the Free Speech Union

FSU appears closely linked to NatCon movement

Cambridge Faculty of Divinity Ignores Demands for Inquiry into Peter Thiel’s Far-Right InfluenceCambridge University fails to answer questions raised by staff and students after Byline Times’ revelation that racist pseudoscience is being promoted on campus under the guise of ‘freedom of speech’https://bylinetimes.com/2021/12/23/cambridge-faculty-of-divinity-ignores-demands-for-inquiry-into-peter-thiels-far-right-influence/

16/“Orbans attack dog” Frank Furedi formerly of RCP, now FSU also leads MCC Brussels which receives Hungarian state funding has been one of the organisers for NatCon Brussels 

From Trotsky to Brexit to Orbán’s attack dog: The man leading Hungary’s fightback against the EUFrank Furedi leads the Brussels branch of Hungarian government-backed MCC, which seems a far cry from his time at Living Marxism magazine.https://www.politico.eu/article/trotsky-brexit-viktor-orban-attack-dog-frank-furedi-hungary-fightback-eu/

17/ The Hungarian CPAC in 2021 is another demonstration of the relationship between Orban and the US radical right, Furedi also spoke at this event

Charity linked to Viktor Orbán Wants to ‘Take Over’ British Schools to Promote Far-Right Pro-Russia PropagandaNafeez Ahmed and Karam Bales report on a ‘free speech’ campaign with ties to the Hungarian Government and its record of curtailing freedom of expressionhttps://bylinetimes.com/2022/06/08/charity-linked-to-viktor-orban-wants-to-take-over-british-schools-to-promote-far-right-pro-russia-propaganda/

18/ Free Speech Union isn't just a culture war outfit, its aims include shaping legislation, having worked on several bills and now producing “free speech” policies for local authorities

The Free Speech Union's Key Role in Developing Government LegislationKaram Bales examines the close links between the FSU, the Office for Students and the Government's drive to legislate on freedom of speechhttps://bylinetimes.com/2024/04/11/the-free-speech-unions-key-role-in-developing-government-legislation/

19/ FSUs Sam Armstrong role is directly working with Ministers and MPs to write legislation, he's also working for the New Conservatives faction that Cates is one of the directors of. Armstrong also responded on behalf of Cates office when I contacted her regarding the ECF story

20/ So as NatCon kicks off and receives client journalist puff pieces in the press, don't forget the policy agenda they support and their proximity to those who were willing to undermine US democracy

21/ Further reading on the US influence on right wing politics in the UK

22/ Further reading on Kevin Roberts and Project 2025

23/ First and almost last day of NatCon as police moved in