London, UK – The Seventh Transatlantic Summit begun February 3 in Brussels, bringing together dozens of politicians, activists, and right-wing organizations from across Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
The two-day event, titled “Free Speech vs Regulated Speech: Strengthening the Pillars of Democracy”, has drawn heavy concern from human rights groups such as Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) due to the organizations and activists involved.
More than 30 MEPs signed a petition last week calling for the summit to be halted at the European Parliament.
The organizers of the event, ultra-conservative lobbying group Political Network for Values, say that “discussions will address the role of public institutions, parliaments, academia, culture, and international organizations in safeguarding this fundamental right [of free speech], particularly in light of the ongoing debate surrounding the implementation and implications of the European Union’s Digital Services Act.”
The Digital Services Act forces online platforms to protect users from illegal or harmful content, such as hate speech and disinformation. However, individuals and groups on the far-right often portray the content moderation it demands as censorship and an attack on free speech.
High-profile speakers at the event will include Chilean president-elect José Antonio Kast, former Polish prime-minister Mateusz Morawiecki, and Spanish VOX party leader Santiago Abascal.
Kast, who will be Chile’s first far-right president since the end of Agosto Pinochet’s dictatorship in 1990, is visiting Europe for the first time since winning election in December. He was previously chair of the Political Network for Values – the ultra-conservative lobbying platform organizing the event.
The summit is sponsored by a number of far-right, U.S.-based organisations such as the Heritage Foundation – architect of Project 2025 – and Family Watch International.
“Through international encounters, the creation of networks between organizations, and access to institutional spaces, these groups give influence to and legitimize an agenda that is against human rights,” GPAHE told EU Reports.
The NGO continued: “Precedents exist regarding the consequences of these transnational networks for the LGBTQ+ community and for women’s sexual and reproductive rights. For example, the U.S. organization Family Watch International played a central role in supporting the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation passed in Uganda.”
Lucy Akello, a Ugandan MP who supported the legislation which imposes death or life imprisonment on LGBTQ+ individuals, enacted in 2023, will be giving a talk at the summit.
Other extremist speakers include Eva Vlaardingerbroek, a political influencer who has promoted white supremacist conspiracy theories such as ‘The Great Replacement’, and Polonia Castellanos, President of the anti-abortion Christian Lawyers Foundation, which has previously advocated against bans on ‘conversion therapy’.
Featured image via ECR Group on X.
