A planned gathering of right-wing conservative leaders from various European countries, slated to occur in the Brussels district of Etterbeek, has been cancelled. Originally scheduled

to take place at the Concert Noble venue, the National Conservative Conference (NatCon) faced opposition from anti-fascist groups, leading the venue's owner, Edificio, to withdraw permission.

The NatCon conference was set to span Tuesday and Wednesday, boasting a lineup of prominent figures from the European conservative right. Keynote speakers included Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, former British Minister Suella Braverman, former British MEP Nigel Farage, former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, and French writer and politician Éric Zemmour. Additionally, MEP Tom Vandendriessche of the Flemish party Vlaams Belang was slated to speak.

Concerns over potential disruptions prompted Brussels Mayor Philippe Close to recommend either cancellation or the provision of adequate security measures to ensure the event proceeded smoothly. Consequently, the conference was relocated to the Hotel Sofitel Brussels Europa in Etterbeek. However, Etterbeek Mayor Vincent De Wolf announced that the hotel, upon reviewing the nature of the event and its attendees, decided to cancel the gathering due to the potential risks associated with hosting such a large-scale event.

Despite the organisers' arrival at the hotel, they were informed of the cancellation, leading to a standoff with law enforcement when they refused to vacate the premises. A spokesperson for the Belgian Antifascist Coordination expressed satisfaction with the cancellation but remained vigilant for any potential relocation attempts, asserting that hosting far-right events only serves to propagate dangerous ideologies. Photo by European People's Party, Wikimedia commons.