National Conservatism Conference

The National Conservatism Conference (NatCon) is a series of events focused on promoting national conservatism, organized by the Edmund Burke Foundation, a Washington D.C.-based think-tank led by Yoram Hazony. The conferences began in 2019 with events in London, Washington, and Rome, followed by subsequent gatherings in Orlando (2021), Brussels (2022), Miami (2022), London (2023), and Brussels (2024). Prominent speakers have included Tucker Carlson, Josh Hawley, JD Vance, Giorgia Meloni, Marco Rubio, Peter Thiel, Kevin Roberts, Daniel Kawczynski, Ron DeSantis, and Viktor Orbán. The 2023 conference in London featured speeches by British Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who argued that uncontrolled immigration threatened the UK's "national character" and advocated for training Britons to fill jobs held by immigrants. She also criticized "radical gender ideology." MP Miriam Cates faced criticism for using the term "cultural Marxism," while journalist Douglas Murray sparked controversy by suggesting other nations should not be prevented from national pride due to Germany's historical actions. Jacob Rees-Mogg criticized the Elections Act 2022 as a failed gerrymandering attempt. The 2024 Brussels conference was shut down by Belgian police on April 16, following an order by district Mayor Emir Kir, who cited public safety concerns. Two other venues had previously withdrawn due to pressure from local mayors. Police barricaded the entrance, allowing participants to leave but preventing entry. Scheduled speakers included Viktor Orbán, Suella Braverman, Nigel Farage, and Eric Zemmour. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo condemned the shutdown as a violation of free speech, while UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesperson ...