Prof. Frank Füredi, director of MCC Burssels, wrote a detailed opinion piece on the experiences of the past days.Continue reading
After the scandalous events at the National Conservatives conference in Brussels last week, when a number of left-wing city officials have tried to shut the event down, another gathering of conservatives opens its doors in Budapest, this time with a more friendly reception. CPAC Hungary, organized by the Center for Fundamental Rights (Alapjogokért Központ; AK) is one of the largest and highest profile events of its kind in the world.
As is customary now, the conference has started with Christian and Jewish prayer delivered by priests and a rabbi. Following that, in his introductory speech, Miklós Szánthó, Director of AK, pointed out to the audience that Budapest differs from Brussels, among others, in the mere fact that the police did not come to shut down the event as it tried to do in Brussels on April 16 during the National Conservatives conference.
He continues by pointing our that this year’s CPAC’s goal is to mobilize the anti-globalist forces into a global network. Their focus is the June European Parliament elections, and the November presidential elections in the United States. In a figure of speech he made parallels between the Soviet “Bolsheviks”, calling their contemporary ideological heirs “Bolshe-woke”. In his view, they have the same goals, that is, they want to undermine order, freedom and security. “We believe in the freedom of the nations, in peace, in protecting our borders, our families and our children”, Miklós Szánthó emphasized. The woke craze turns everything upside down, because they think everything is a social construction. This ideology has now been elevated into foreign policy both in Brussels and Washington. The law has become a tool in their hands with the aim to export liberal democracies to the world.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in his speech that Hungary has gained a certain reputation in international politics. It is unheard of that a small country of only a 10 million should gain such an important role. Something makes Hungary interesting though, he claimed. For 1100 years Hungarians have lived in our country that never voluntarily gave up its sovereignty even for a moment. Today, while Europe as a whole is engulfed by an ocean of liberalism, there is an island of difference, a conservative country that opposes political pressure from both the EU and Washington. We do not only oppose it but are also capable of winning, emphasized Viktor Orbán.
With a hint of sarcasm, referring to the scandal surrounding the NatCon conference in Brussels last week, the Prime Minister pointed out that this is one conservative conference in Europe that actually no one wants to ban, its organizers are not threatened, the venue will not close, police officer will not raid it. This is what happened in Brussels last week, but we are doing it differently, he pointed out. In contrast to media reports, there is a legal state in Hungary, anyone is able to say what they want.
In contrast to the Belgian Prime Minister I cannot send a message to our independent courts as what to do even if I wanted,
Viktor Orbán said, referring to the fact that only after the intervention of Alexander De Croo, did a third Belgian judge give his permission for the NatCon conference to go ahead, after two previous decisions to ban it.
Photo: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd
In Brussels, the paradise of liberals, progressive life has been realized, he continued. He praised former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot for stopping migration in his country, and for proving that it is possible to do so. Hungary is an international laboratory against the global progressive virus, he added. The year 2024 will be the year of putting all in practice. There are elections coming up, and we have to win these elections. Progressive liberals sense the danger, their end is near and therefore they will do everything to stay in power. They have no moral scruples, and while they are in power, they will not hesitate to use all instruments at their disposal, including the weaponization of state institutions. This is what currently happens with Hungary in Brussels, and with Donald Trump in the US.
Mr. Orbán continued by saying that our enemies are in power, and are constantly contemplating how to finish off the common good instead of serving it. In Central Europe we are familiar with oppression, we have seen this during communism, but in the West this type of autocracy is unknown. They rephrase what normal is, and as George Orwell said,
War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.”
For progressive liberals normal is abnormal. To them war is peace, migration is a resource, etc. This uprooted normality is spread by the instruments of the state, and those who are of a different opinion are made to look like ignorant or crazy. They designate such dissenters as a “security concern” simply because they have different views. They send the liberal press and activist against them, while courts are bombarded by NGOs reports attacking such opponents of their world-view. Finally the state organs start to investigate you, which are increasingly used as the private instrument of the liberal elites. This is how Brussels tries to silence Hungary, and this is what is happening in the US with the trials of Donald Trump.
The good news is that we can put an end to this, we can close one of the most shameful periods of our Western civilization.
The progressive spirit has fallen, it has brought us chaos, war, crime, poverty, continued the Prime Minister. They claimed that their goal is not to represent people, but to realize their own ideological goals. Yet people had enough of them wherever they appeared. This world order has produced leaders who are clearly unsuitable for leadership. They strive for ideological control, and expect everyone to submit to their ideas. They claim that this is the only way to achieve peace.
But this is our chance to introduce a new sovereigntist world order, said Viktor Orbán. Such a new order would be without a global ideology, and without the expectation that everyone should submit to it. In this nations could simply follow their own national interest. Not NGOs, media actors or questionable experts, but those elected by the people should decide about which direction communities should go.
The spirit of sovereignty spirit will replace US oligarch George Soros’ “open society” with a “protected society”.
The global economy will organize itself according to principles of connectivity and competition, rather than ideology, said the Prime Minister.
He concluded by saying that liberal hegemony has made our world a worse place. It brought war, chaos, it wants to cancel nations, the state and the family. Those representing this world view are still sitting in Brussels in the EU institutions. Our job is to get rid of them, we need to return to a safe path that made our Western civilization great, said Viktor Orbán.
Other Speakers at the conference will include Irakli Kobakhidze, Geert Vilder, Tom Van Grieken, Mateusz Morawiecki, Péter Szijjártó, Vivek Ramaswamy, Eva Vlaardingerbroek, Tony Abbott, Rick Santorum, Kari Lake, Hans George Maassen, Andréé Ventura, and Harald Vilimsky.
Featured Image: MTI Koszticsák Szilárd