Belgian police on Tuesday interrupted
the Brussels National Conservatism Conference featuring Permier
Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy (FdI) party and other members
of the FdI-led Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) caucus as well
as other hard right leaders including Hungary's Viktor Orban,
but organisers said it would resume Wednesday with speakers
including ECR Chair and FdI MEP Nicola Procaccini.
Orban, too, is among Tuesday's speakers.
The Brussels police stopped the event on public order concerns.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on X he deplored
the police decision at the Claridge event venue.
"What happened at the Claridge today is unacceptable. "Municipal
autonomy is a cornerstone of our democracy but can never
overrule the Belgian constitution guaranteeing the freedom of
speech and peaceful assembly since 1830. "Banning political
meetings is unconstitutional.Full stop," De Croos said.
The confab was stopped while former UKIP leader Nigel Farage,
now honorary president of Reform UK, was speaking along with
hardline Conservative former Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
Spanish Vox party MEP Hermann Tertsch called the interruption of
proceedings a "disgrace" and asked "where are we, in China, in
Venezuela?"
Orban, for his part, said "Belgium is like the Communists, but
we won't give up".
The Hungarian Premier is a friend and ally of Meloni's, and is
set to join the ECR.
Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said "the last
time I saw such censorship was in the time of Communism".
Britain's Tory party said leader Rishi Sunak was a "strong
supporter and defender of freedom of speech and thinks this
principle must be fundamental for any democracy".
photo: French far right leader Eric Zemmour stopped from entry
into Claridge venuel by cops
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