Next weekend in New Direction 10th Anniversary Dinner p.22 BORDEAUX p.20 ACRE Summer Gala Dinner p.23 Issue #8 | July 2019 A fortnightly Newspaper by the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe (ACRE) | theconservative.online THE OFFICIAL OPPOSITION by Jan Zahradil MEP, President of ACRE For the next five years, we aim to serve as the peoples voice, acting as a counter balance between those who want a federal Europe, and those who want to destroy the Union. We will continue to defend the view that Europe works best when it does less, but it does it better. ith the elec- power handed to those who which would have create a in a position to act as the offi- comes as a result of keeping tion now out of want to use it to build a federal more business friendly Europe. cial opposition in the European power as close to the people as Spitzenkandidat the way, and the Europe. A coalition that will That would have put the sin- Parliament. We’ll hold this new possible. And we remain com- JAN ZAHRADIL political groups be led from the left, with any gle market, rather than social coalition to account, and ensure mitted to the view that our nowW establishing themselves, we voting majority dependent on policy, back at the centre of the that they do not use their new strength comes from a willing- Jan Zahradil was ACRE’s can- can now talk with some clarity the support of the Greens and European Union. That would majority to take power away ness to work together on issues didate for the Presidency of the about what the next five years the socialists. As a result we have opened Europe up to new from member states. Equally of common interest, rather than Commission, throughout the will bring. Especially now that will see a leftist agenda pushed opportunities by pushing for we will work constructively being dragged into programmes course of the campaign his team we have seen what the new coa- more and more in the Euro- further free trade agreements where we can to deliver legis- we don’t want. wrote a number of Campaign Dia- lition will look like. pean Parliament. with the rest of the world. lation that adds value for our And so, for the next five years, ries as he travelled across Europe To us, we believe that the For our part, we would have We regret the decision that citizens. we aim to serve as the peoples spreading the conservative mes- new Commission Majority liked Europe to move in a dif- has been made, and most of all Our mission is, as it always voice, acting as a counter bal- sage, for the first time they are all is a lost opportunity, not just ferent direction over the next we feel sorry for the voters of has been since we were founded ance between those who want a available in one place. p.16 for us, but for the people of five years. We were ready and those centre-right and conser- ten years ago, to ensure that the federal Europe, and those who Europe who voted for a leaner willing, as an established polit- vative parties who have been European Union remains a good want to destroy the Union. We and more streamlined Euro- ical movement, to work with just as let down by it. However servant to its member states, will continue to defend the view Conservative Icons pean Union. The establish- the European Peoples Party to for this decision also creates and to the people that live in that Europe works best when it JAMES ment of the new coalition sees deliver a centre-right majority, an opportunity. We will now be them. That good governance does less, but it does it better. ■ FITZJAMES STEPHEN by Roger Kimball THE ECR HAS The activities of the European European Union, for example, daily bear PLENTY OF witness to the hopeless muddle of Parliament this anchorless liberalism. Maxi- ROOM TO GROW mum tolerance, it turns out, leads An interview with Professor Ryszard Legutko, to maximum impotence. p.18 2019 Co-Chairman of ECR Group Photo: European Union 2019 - Source: EP - Source: Union 2019 European Photo: THE CONSERVATIVE various countries to reform the Conservative Music What do you see as the main European Union and it’s clear priorities for the ECR Group as that the relatively high turnout YOUTUBE: THE the new mandate begins? was a signal that many people ALEXANDRIAN in Europe expect the EU to be PROF. RYSZARD LEGUTKO MEP reformed. So we hope to gather LIBRARY OF Well to continue the job that together people and forces here OUR TIME Elections we have been doing, trying to in the parliament and exert by Jay Nordlinger p.21 CONTINUED ON p.15 persuade our colleagues from pressure on the powers that be. 2 EDITORIAL theconservative.online theconservative.online EUROPEAN NEWS 3 Austria United Kingdom ACRE welcomes Snap election Conservative Party three new members in Austria leadership election ustrian Chancellor Sebastian he Conservative Party of the contenders. The former Mayor of Lon- The major issues that the new leader Kurz has called a snap election United Kingdom is in the mid- don Boris Johnson and the current For- will have to deal with include the rise A in the Alpine country, following T dle of a leadership race, which eign Secretary Jeremy Hunt. of the populist Brexit Party and the the revelation that his coalition part- will see party members electing not just Both men are respected within the declining support for the party. Whilst ners, the populist Freedom Party, had their new leader, but also the countries party and appeal to different factions. at the same time having to sort out Brit- been selling influence. new Prime Minister. Mr Johnson, unusually referred to by ain’s orderly withdrawal from the Euro- The so called ‘Ibiza Affair’ has rocked The leadership race started his first name ‘Boris’, is believed to be pean Union, as well as setting a course the Austrian media recently, after Free- after Prime Minster Theresa May the favourite in the race, and represents for the future direction of the country. dom Party leader, and Vice-Chancel- announced that she would be stepping the more Eurosceptic wing of the party, Both potential leaders have set out lor of Austria Heinze-Christian Strache down in the Summer to make way for calling for a faster withdrawal from the different visions of what they want to was caught accepting political favours a new leader, having failed to pass the European Union on harsher terms. achieve in office, however there are and election donations from a journal- EU Withdrawal Agreement through the Whilst Mr Hunt, a long term cabi- many common conservative themes ist posing as the daughter of a Russian House of Commons. She will formally net minister, is seen as the voice of the that run between the two campaigns. oligarch. step down on the 24th of July and the more liberal wing of the party. Including the view that Britain must The video seems to show Strache new Prime Minister will take over in Both candidates have taken part in a continue to be leading nation in the boasting about his ambition to under- Chancellor Kurz himself has the afternoon of that day. number of debates in front of both the world, that the country must pursue mine the countries free press and create expressed frustration with his former Members of Parliament in Westmin- general public and party membership, a policy of freer trade and that the UK a media empire that favours his agenda. coalition partners, having had to spend ster were responsible for getting the with the polls narrowing. Whilst at the will remain ready to defend Europe The Austrian Freedom Party has pre- a great deal of time apologising for their race down to just candidates through start of the race it was clearly thought through the NATO Alliance. viously been in the spotlight for their actions, or in many cases, scolding them internal ballots. At the start of the that Boris would be the next leader, Both candidates have made clear that close relationship with the Russian gov- for their controversies. race, 12 MPs were in the running to be poor performances in interviews and although the country is leaving the Euro- ernment of Vladimir Putin, which ulti- The fresh set of elections are due to the new leader, but as the weeks went a minor personal scandal have meant pean Union, it will remain an open and mately resulted in the United Kingdom take place sometime in Autumn, and the on, the race boiled down to just two that this race could be close fought. influential force on the world stage. ■ by Richard Milsom and the Netherlands refusing to share Chancellor Kurz Austrian Peoples Party intelligence with them for security are expected to perform much better reasons. than in the past. ■ Poland United Kingdom Sir Roger Scruton Trump’s awarded Order of Merit Photo: White House White Photo: ritish conservative author and The award was granted on the 30th State visit philosopher Sir Roger Scru- anniversary of the first free elections B ton has been awarded the Pol- held in Poland, in June 1989. Scru- S President Donald Trump vis- ish Order of Merit by President Andrejz ton thanked the president in Polish former communist countries in Cen- ited the United Kingdom on Duda. In a ceremony held in Warsaw, “for this great honour.” “Communism tral Eastern European countries.