Jovan Palalić, an MP for and the secretary general of the Serbian People’s Party, has dedicated the better part of the last two decades of his life to public service as a lawmaker in the Serbian National Assembly.
As one of the main organizers of the Cross-Continental Conservative Conference set to take place this weekend in the Serbian capital city of Belgrade, he sat down with The European Conservative to discuss, among other things, the impetus for holding the conference, what distinguished figures will be in attendance, what topics are on the agenda, and what it hopes to achieve.
For our readers who may not be aware, can you tell us about the Cross-Continental Conservative Congress that’s taking place in Belgrade, Serbia this weekend?
The Cross-Continental Conservative Congress was supposed to be a gathering of the youth of the conservative parties of Europe and America, which I discussed with their representatives during the conference in Budapest in May of this year.
I suggested that their next meeting be held in Belgrade and they accepted, to my great joy.
What made me particularly happy after that, because it indicates that there is already a strong internal unity of our movements, is the spread of interest in this gathering throughout our conservative community.
Many MPs at the European and national level, as well as many institutes that promote conservative ideas, expressed their interest in participating.
So this Congress in Serbia will be one big workshop of our beliefs, through different panels, meetings, and conversations of all conservatives.
What was the organizers’ primary impetus for organizing the conference? And what do you hope to achieve?
In addition to my Serbian People’s Party, the co-organizers of this Congress are American Republicans represented through Republicans for National Renewal, and the youth of the Italian Lega.
Belgrade and Serbia were certainly not accidentally chosen as the place for this, because today, they represent one of the few points in Europe that firmly defend the right of nations to independent politics and the defense of both personal and national identity.
Our primary goal is to provide possible answers and policies to the crisis into which our societies have been led by leftist and liberal governments in this dangerous and complex time, in which the very foundations of Western civilization are threatened.
The terrorist attack on Israel and the conflicts in Gaza gave a new dynamic to this worrisome and dangerous process that is pushing Europe to the ever-increasing margin of world importance.
After the war in Ukraine, and this in Gaza, Europe just follows the positions of the USA. I don’t see its policy and its interest. Practically, the war in Israel has confirmed the same absence of European strategy.
All the planned panels will touch on all the topics to which we conservatives must have an answer if we want the support of the citizens and if we want to run our countries and form governments.
Can you give us some idea of the speakers and the attendees?
We were sincerely surprised by the confirmed participation of members of parliament and officials of conservative parties.
American Republicans headed by Mark Ivanyo and Gavin Wax will be represented; from Europe, MP of Rassemblement National Thibaut François; Filip Brusselnans from Vlaams Belang; Dimitri Coin from Lega; Petr Bystron and Harald Weyel from Alternative für Deutschland; Rocio de Meer from VOX; Harald Villmsky from Austrian FPÖ; Milan Uhrik from Slovakia; and Andrej Poglajen from Slovenia.
There are youth leaders from almost all conservative parties, and I have to especially mention Davide Quadri from Italy when it comes to engaging the conservative youth, and institutes such as the Machiavelli Institute, the Hungarian Center for Fundamental Rights, the Foundation for a Civic Hungary, Fidelitas, and the Identity and Democracy Foundation …
All of them will take part in this Congress in different ways.
What do you have planned over the course of the three-day event?
In addition to keynote speakers and five panels, numerous bilateral meetings and interviews are planned.
The plan includes a meeting with the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Porfirije, and a visit to the largest Orthodox temple in the world located in Belgrade—St. Sava’s Temple.
On the eve of the event itself, the promotion of the book by the distinguished Alternative for Germany MP Petr Bystron—Make Europe Great Again will be organized.
Also, considering that the Armistice Day holiday in the First World War is coming up, the representatives of the countries allied to Serbia in that war will lay a wreath at the monument to the fallen Serbian soldiers and defenders of Belgrade.
What will be the main topics of discussion?
Through the organization of keynote speeches and panels, we tried to cover all the main issues of organizing and operating conservative movements, as well as the key issues of today’s society.
In what way will the youth make their contribution to shaping the new world after the victories of conservative movements; how to shape conservative policies that would provide answers to key challenges; how to successfully and efficiently use modern technologies to succeed in communicating with citizens; about aggressive LGBT ideologies; about mass migrations to Europe and the issues of defending the identity of nations and the security of citizens; about the role of conservative NGOs as incubators of conservative politics—these are just some of the more important issues that will be discussed. The moderators of the panels will certainly cover every segment of reality necessary to provide a clear picture and send a message of the extent to which conservative parties and their representatives are serious and ready to successfully lead their countries through questions to the participants.
What media outlets will be present at the event?
In addition to the presence of the main Serbian media and agencies, we are looking forward to the arrival of Valeurs Actuelles, Human Events, Big League Politics, Junge Freiheit, and Inside Over.
Why are conferences such as these important for the international national-conservative anti-globalist movement?
Regardless of the differences caused by the specificities of the societies and countries in which they operate, conservative parties and movements share common values on which our civilization should be shaped after the total collapse of the policies of the left-liberal governments and their parties.
From year to year, the strengthening of our connection and the need for the exchange of experiences and ideas is clearly seen, as Western societies plunge into ever greater economic, security, and social uncertainty.
The last year marked a direct attack through woke ideology on the very identity of man, and wars can threaten life itself if we are not wise and if we do not defend exclusively our interests instead of those of others.
Conferences like this provide an opportunity to initiate, in addition to ideological unity, greater action unity, because important elections in 2024 in Europe and the USA are coming up, and because there is an opportunity for a large number of our parties to win the national elections and take over the governments of their countries.
We must send a message that we are ready, serious, and organized to rule.
The left-liberal propaganda that there is no one else who can exercise power besides them must be broken.
Their rule left only chaos. It’s time for a conservative order.
Final thoughts?
I have great confidence in the strength and ability of conservative movements and parties. The people who represent them are true patriots of their countries, educated, and serious. In several conversations I had with many representatives of various parties and NGOs, I clearly saw that they have a vision of their societies as safe, stable, and developed.
It is a lie that we are oriented only to the past or to outdated and inhumane ideas that limit freedom.
There are no greater defenders of freedom than conservatives, because for us Christians, man as God’s creation is the highest value, and God gave man freedom out of love.
We want a society of free and authentic people, just, safe and orderly. And everything that is new and advanced in terms of technology, we support and develop, but only to the extent that it all serves this basic vertical of our beliefs.
The time of conservative renewal of the West is coming.
