MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
It was my great honour to welcome you all to ACRE’s Summer Gala Dinner. The Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe (ACRE) is Europe’s leading Conservative movement. Since our foundation in 2009, we have become one of the most important pro-market, pro-transatlantic European political groups. We count more than 36 parties and an active family of representatives in the European Parliament, Council of Europe, Committee of Regions and NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
United by our Centre-Right values expressed in the Reykjavik Declaration, ACRE is dedicated to individual liberty, national sovereignty, parliamentary democracy, private property, limited government, free trade, family values and the devolution of power.
These values underpin our politics, including our vision for the reform of the European Union. Europe faces a crossroads and ACRE’s agenda for reform has never been more salient. Join our movement, and help advance a Europe - and a world - of free peoples, free nations and free markets.
Jan Zahradil MEP ACRE President Château de Grand-Bigard
Visitors are always amazed when discovering Belgium through its national monuments and historic castles. The province of Brabant is host to a number of these majestic castles and palaces that have stood the test of time. In the pretty town of Grand-Bigard, 7 km west of Brussels is one of the best preserved castles in the country.
The castle of Grand-Bigard dates back to the 12th century, and is surrounded by a wide moat, and a crown of centuries-old beech trees. The bridge which has five arches, is flanked by two heraldic sculptures from the seventeenth century, the gatehouse itself dates from the fourteenth century.
The castle is a prime architectural example of the Flemish Renaissance style and consists of a long maint building with red bricks, which contrasts the white stone of the high ornate windows’. The chapel, found in the right wing, has not been kept as original for three centuries.
Built in around 1347, the ‘Donjon’, a stone tower which rises to thirty meters high, sits to the left of the gatehouse, and has four floors. Its walls are two meters thick. From the platform of the fourth floor, surrounded by a crenellated wall, a prestigious panorama looks out towards Brussels and the Flemish countryside. EU-Vietnam Parliamentary Friend- and presently serves on the EU Finan- vate Secretary to the former Prime He has published several books, ship Group, in addition to traveling cial Affairs Sub-Committee. He was a Minister David Cameron in 2013. including ‘Why Vote Leave’ and extensively throughout Asia to build prominent supporter of the Article 50 Gavin then served as Chief Whip ‘What Next: How to Get the Best new partnerships. bill, which the House of Lords passed from June 2016 until November from Brexit’. He was awarded the Since a young age Zahradil has on March 13th, paving the way for 2017. Gavin was an incredibly suc- Spectator’s Speech of the Year been a great fan of rock music, oc- Brexit negotiations to begin. Since cessful Chief Whip and never lost a Award in 2009 for his speech in the casionally even writing reviews to Oct 2017 he has been the Minister of vote. From 2017 until 2019, Gavin European Parliament in which he Jan music magazines. As a Czech pa- State for Exiting the European Union. served as Secretary of State for criticised the Prime Minister, Gor- ZAHRADIL triot, he is a great beer fan, and he Defence for the United Kingdom. don Brown. Liam especially loves products of Czech Gavin was known for his strong STEEVENSON microbreweries. Zahradil is married, stance regarding matters para- Jan Zahradil was born in Prague on with a daughter and a son, and they mount to the security of the Unit- ‘The youngest person to pass the March 20, 1963. He graduated from have also welcomed a new addi- ed Kingdom, and during this time Master of Wine Exam, Liam Steeven- the University of Chemistry and Tech- tion into the family - a dog. He lives oversaw important developments son has a global reputation for wine nology, specializing in water and en- in Prague where he was born and in relation to the security of the production, business and communi- vironmental technologies. Following raised, but enjoys spending his holi- United Kingdom, including getting cation’. A driven, financially focussed graduation, he performed research in days in Northern Bohemia an extra £1.8 billion in funding for individual with a passion for wine, the water management. Thierry the Ministry of Defence. people that make it and the places In 1992 he was elected to the Fed- Neva BAUDET Since returning to his position that influence quality and style. Liam eral Parliament of Czechoslovakia, as a Backbench MP, Gavin has re- SADIKOGLU- has built strong working relation- representing the Civic Democrat- Thierry Baudet is a member of the mained at the heart of politics in NOVAKY ships within the global wine industry, ic Party (ODS), of which he was a Dutch House of Representatives Westminster. He is currently running forged through twenty plus years of founding member. After the split of Neva Sadikoglu-Novaky is the Secre- and leader of Forum for Democracy Boris Johnson’s leadership bid to working with the UK’s leading wine Czechoslovakia, he became foreign tary General and a co-founder of the (FvD). As a political philosopher, Bau- become the next leader of the Con- merchants. An excellent communi- and political affairs adviser to the PM Women’s Movement of the Alliance det published several works on the servative Party. cator, he has always tried to push of the Czech Republic. At the Office of Conservatives and Reformists in importance of the nation-state and the boundaries of the wine industry, of the Government, he headed the Martin Europe. She is also the Chair of the its sovereignty. Initially, he founded helped by an ability to see the wider European Integration Department. In Conservative Women’s Organisation CALLANAN Forum for Democracy as a think-tank picture without missing the impor- 1998, Zahradil became a Member of in Runnymede and Weybridge Con- to promote conservatism and direct tance of fine detail. Working within the Parliament of the Czech Repub- Lord Martin John Callanan, Baron servative Association in the UK and democracy in the Netherlands. In the constraints of a large corporate lic, where he served as the co-chair- Callanan, born 1961 in Newcastle a member of the Association’s Exec- 2016, FvD converted itself into a polit- company (Waitrose/Bibendum) and man of the Joint Parliamentary EU upon Tyne, is a prominent politician utive board. ical party. FvD is a broad, liberal-con- also having been able to exercise – Czech Republic Committee, which and former Chairman of the Euro- Neva has experience in EU, USA servative party represented in the entrepreneurial skills whilst running supervised the Czech accession to pean Conservatives and Reform- and UK politics and policy-making. Amsterdam city council, all twelve his own companies (RED&WHITE & the EU. Due to his specialization, he ists. Graduating from Newcastle Daniel She helped set-up the European provincial councils, the European par- Global Wine Solutions) has installed a represented the Czech Republic in Polytechnic with a BSc in Electrical Conservatives and Reformists liament and is currently the biggest HANNAN very balanced understanding of com- the 2002 Convention on the Future and Electronic Engineering, his po- Group in the European Committee party in the Dutch senate. mercial needs and business success. of the European Union. Later, he was litical career began with his election Daniel Hannan is Member of the of the Regions and has worked appointed as the PM’s sherpa for the to the Tyne and Wear County Coun- European Parliament for the South in the European Commission and Lisbon Treaty negotiations, in which cil from 1983 to 1986, continuing in East of England. First elected in the European Parliament. She is a he played an integral role. the Gateshead Metropolitan Borough 1999, he is one of the longest-serv- fellow at the London-based Loca- Zahradil was subsequently elect- Council from 1987 to 1996, becom- ing UK MEPs and is standing again lis think-tank. She also previous- ed to the EP in 2004 as the leader ing the last Conservative to win elec- as a Conservative candidate in the ly worked at the Washington DC of the ODS list and was re-elected tion in Gateshead. He was elected to 2019 European Elections. He is based think-tank CSIS and was also twice. He is the founding member the European Parliament from 1999 the Founder and President of the recently an AILA International Fel- of the European Conservatives and to 2014, lead the Conservative Par- Initiative for Free Trade, a not-for- low at the CSIS. Neva has front-line Reformists Group (ECR), which he ty in the European Parliament from Gavin profit, research foundation based experience in elections. She ran as a Richard led in 2011 as the first Czech to ever 2010 to 2012, and served as Chair- WILLIAMSON in London which aims to make the Conservative Party candidate in this MILSOM lead a political group at the Europe- man of the European Conservatives intellectual and moral case for free year’s European elections for the an Parliament. The Group has since and Reformists group in the Europe- Throughout his time working as the trade, particularly exploiting the South East of England. She is a con- Richard Milsom leads the growth and become the third largest group in the an Parliament from 2011 to 2014. Conservative Member of Parliament potential benefits of Brexit. After tributor to the Britain’s leading Con- engagement efforts of the fastest Parliament. Since 2009, he is also Martin is a regular contributor to for South Staffordshire, Gavin Wil- having campaigned for over twenty servative blog, Conservative Home. growing European political party, the the President of the Alliance of Con- prominent political site Conservative- liamson has had an incredibly varied years for the UK’s withdrawal from She also has broadcast media ex- Alliance of Conservatives and Re- servatives and Reformists in Europe Home, contributing a monthly report Parliamentary career. He has served the EU, Daniel was a co-founder of perience having done television and formists in Europe. He heads ACREs (ACRE), the fastest growing political on a range of topics. two Prime Ministers: Cameron and the ‘Vote Leave’ campaign which radio interviews for mainstream work in reinforcing its presence movement in Europe. On 8 August 2014, it was an- May, and under both he has held was successful in the 2016 Refer- media such as BBC and Bloomberg across Europe and beyond. He is a In the EP, Zahradil specializes in nounced that he would be made a positions in Cabinet. Furthermore, endum on the UK’s Membership of TV. She holds a Master’s degree seasoned political consultant and ex- international trade issues, serving as Conservative life peer in the House of Gavin has successfully fought three the EU. Daniel is also a journalist from London School of Economics pert with extensive experience in gov- the INTA Committee Vice-Chairman. Lords, taking the title of Baron Calla- General Elections. and author, writing weekly columns and Political Sciences - ranked sec- ernment, public policy and strategic Moreover, he was appointed as the nan, of Low Fell in the County of Tyne Early in his political career, for The Washington Examiner, The ond in the world and top in Europe communications. Prior to his political standing rapporteur for the EU-Viet- and Wear. There he has served on Gavin served as the Parliamen- Telegraph and Conservative Home. in social science. She holds an un- work, he was a successful business- nam Free Trade Agreement. He is the Information Committee (Lords), tary Private Secretary to the then He also publishes occasional ar- dergraduate degree from University man in the Wine and Spirit Industry also active in promoting EU – Asia the Trade Union Political Funds and Transport Secretary, before being ticles for the Daily Mail, The Sun, of Kent in Canterbury and Sciences- and wine consultant to the UK retail relations, founding and chairing the Political Party Funding Committee, appointed as Parliamentary Pri- The Guardian and The Spectator. Po Paris. and aviation sector.
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