Anne-Elisabeth Moutet Ambassador Piotr Wilczek IN THE ONE FOR SHADOW OF NEXT WEEKEND IN ALL AND ALL BONAPARTE FOR ONE p.11 p.9 p.20 Issue #3 | March 2019 A fortnightly Newspaper by the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe (ACRE) | theconservative.online Daniel Dalton MEP REPORT CLOSES A “GAPING LOOPHOLE” A “gaping loophole” which allows third country nationals to hide their criminal records in the Euro- pean Union was closed by MEPs. p.3 Brexit SWISS-EU TALKS STUCK AMID PARALLELS WITH BREXIT The similarities between the Brexit negotiations and the ongo- ing negotiations between the n the European Parliament elec- European Union and Switzerland tion in May, the Sweden Dem- are obvious and striking. p.5 I ocrats are set to double their number of MEPs, from two to four. Jan Zahradil Based on the most recent polls the party’s result is at an all-time high CAMPAIGN of 18 per cent and the party could plausibly even elect five MEPs. It is DIARY Part II. therefore probable that the Swe- Paris, London, Prague, Belcoo and den Democrats will be the second Blacklion p.16 largest Swedish party in the EP, THE PARTY HAS after the Social Democrats, follow- ing the election. DOUBLED IN EVERY Conservative Icons In the last decade, the Sweden JOSEF PIEPER Democrats have grown to a major by Roger Kimball political force. On average the ELECTION party has doubled in every elec- More and more, so-called liberal tion since it was founded in 1988. The party entered the European Parlia- that has enabled the party to grow so fast arts institutions are vocational The Sweden Democrats entered ment in 2014 with 9,7 per cent of the vote is that the voters are tired of being lec- schools at best; at worst they are the national parliament with 5.7 per electing two MEPs. tured about multiculturalism and toler- circuses of narcissism. p.18 cent of the vote in 2010. Four years The Conservative takes a closer look ance. The voters want a normal European later they had 12.9 per cent, and last at Sweden Democrats and finds a party discussion on the benefits and drawbacks September the party increased its that would be seen as a moderate centrist of migration. The Conservative profiles Conservative Wine share of the vote to 17.8 per cent, party in any country, other than in Jimmie Åkesson, the national chairman MACRON’S taking 62 seats in the 349- Sweden. The main factor of the party, and interviews Peter Lund- seat parliament. gren the party’s delegation leader for the VIEWS ON EP election. Peter Lundgren, an ECR BREXIT ARE MEP, is a former truck driver who was nominated for the Parliament Magazine LEAVING A award as the best EU parliamentarian in SOUR TASTE the transport section six month after win- by Iain Martin ning his first election. CONTINUED ON p.10 Presidents of countries that want the British to continue buying their SPECIAL FEATURE CONSERVATIVE APPROACHES TO MIGRATION POLICY REFORM, AND THE wine, and much else, after Brexit should try being pleasant for a POPULISM AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE change. p.21 An Interview with Tony Abbott, former Prime Minister of Australia Conservative Books ony Abbott, having ended the humani- Jane Austen’s tarian catastrophe of people smugglers reaching Australia by water, points to a PRIDE AND Tsuccessful resolution of a migration crisis, and PREJUDICE urges Europe and its leadership to take a hard by James Delingpole stance on illegal migration. He further empha- sizes on how certain misconceptions about the The genius of Jane Austen is that nature of refugee and migrant status can lead to she also works quite brilliantly as a false moral responsibility narrative, and subse- she is often seen today: as a creator quently exacerbate illegal migration challenges. of feisty, sparky heroines, a sublime How Europe now deals with the Völkerwan- comedian and spinner of gloriously derung is arguably the most important question romantic yarns. p.22 of our age. CONTINUED ON p.15 2 EDITORIAL theconservative.online theconservative.online EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 3 Kristina Winberg MEP Daniel Dalton MEP ACRE WELCOMES MEPs vote to establish new Report closes a “gaping SEVERAL NEW MEMBERS Internal Security Fund loophole” in cross-border new fund that will support Mem- crime fight ber States’ efforts to boost secu- A rity within and between their countries has been endorsed during a vote in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. As currently proposed, the Internal Security Fund will have a budget of just We under 5 billion euros to support objec- tives such as increasing the exchange of information between law enforcement need authorities, tackling radicalization, and don’t strengthening crime prevention. “gaping loophole” which allows leaves people in the EU less safe.” NO Speaking after the vote, Kristina Win- third country nationals to hide The new European Criminal Records berg, who followed the proposals for the A their criminal records in the Information System Third Country ECR Group, said: European Union was closed by MEPs. National (ECRIS-TCN) database will “We are all unfortunately aware of the The new legislation will also sup- borders. While this new fund won’t solve They backed legislation, led through reveal if a third country national has a struggles Member States are facing in port improving emergency response as all our problems, it is another small step the European Parliament by ECR MEP criminal record in the EU and which the fight against terror. It’s a cross bor- well as strengthening the focus on the that provides targeted and flexible sup- Daniel Dalton, establishing a central member state holds the details. Judicial Education der issue and we need to do what we can external dimension of the EU’s security port to help member states improve the database that will alert Member States authorities will then be able to quickly by Richard Milsom to support Member States’ to help them challenges. security of their citizens.” if individuals have previous convictions obtain that information and take it into cooperate more effectively, exchange Winberg continued: The report will now enter institutional in the EU. account when sentencing the person for information and share best practices on “A number of the challenges we are negotiations with the Council of Minis- Mr Dalton told MEPs that the change a new offence. tackling terror groups that pose a threat facing are a direct consequence of the ters in order to find an agreement on the was essential to fight crime and ter- Mr Dalton added: “The inclusion of to Europe.” failure to secure the EU’s the external final legislation.” ■ rorism, in a world where people were dual nationals in this system will pre- increasingly mobile and cross-border vent them from hiding past criminal crime was on the rise. convictions in the EU simply by disclos- He said: “There is currently an effi- ing only one of their passports. Our voice and vision for cient way to identify previous convic- “This is a good agreement. It will a reformed EU must be tions for EU nationals but not for people make our citizens safer, ensure seri- from outside the bloc or those with dual ous criminal convictions are disclosed heard. We need to counter nationality”. to judicial authorities and ensure that he first two issues of ‘The Conservative’ programme, Rwanda launching a satellite to pro- he Alliance of Conservatives and the generic arguments “Officials who suspect a non-EU EU and non-EU nationals are treated have been a resounding success. The vide broadband internet to schools in remote Reformists in Europe (ACRE) is national may have a criminal past can equally. At the same time we have pro- response from readers has been over- areas, upcoming elections in Lithuania and Spain, Europe’s fastest growing political of the other parties, who only find those convictions by asking tected the rights of individuals by plac- whelming and letters and comments and the recent elections in Estonia and Nige- movement. At the Annual General regardless of the frontman, all 27 other member states. This means ing safeguards on how this information Tfrom across Europe and the rest of the world ria. We look at what impact a large influx of ille- TAssembly, ACRE welcomed four parties: The Bul- previous criminal convictions are rarely can be shared - this is not a database that clearly show that there has been a genuine deep- gal immigration has had on polls in Spain. Finally, garian and Northern Macedonian National Move- all want the same thing - found. It is a gaping legal loophole which can be simply browsed through.” ■ felt demand for a newspaper from a conservative also have a short article on how thousands of ments (VMRO); the Democratic Party of Kosovo more Europe. perspective. We intend to build on this and aim to Dutch high school students have been skipping and the Enough is Enough Conservative Party in continue to deliverer and improve. class to protest about climate change. Serbia. The four new members officially joined Dosta je bilo (Enough is Enough) is a politi- Anna Fotyga MEP This issue contains a special feature on popu- The article about Dutch high school students the conservative alliance during ‘La Convenzi- cal party in Serbia founded by former Minister lism. The word is rarely defined, but it is certain skipping school to attend climate protests is one Blu’ Council Meeting & Summit in Rome. of Economy Saša Radulović in 2014. Radulović is that populism isn’t popular in Brussels. The label illustrative because similar strikes are occur- Since our foundation in 2010, we have become the a harsh critic of corruption not only in Serbian, Disinformation poisons of populism is applied to anything the establish- ring across the continent.