Brussels | A call to walk together, in alliance, to defend freedom and common sense was issued by Chile’s president-elect, José Antonio Kast, alongside Mateusz Morawiecki and Santiago Abascal, presidents of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and Patriots for Europe (PfE) parties.
The president-elect and the leaders of the two major European political groups closed the VII Transatlantic Summit for Freedom of Expression, held on February 3 at the European Parliament.
“Defending freedom is an act of courage; defending human freedom is a vanguard act of rebellion; and defending true democracy is a historic responsibility,” Kast stated, thanking Morawiecki and Abascal for standing together at the event.
“Why are we here? We are here because we believe in freedom, in the family, and in respect for the human person, which remain the pillars of civilization,” he emphasized.
The president-elect warned that when these pillars are weakened, not only does the political system suffer, but society itself fractures from within: the family is weakened, conscience is silenced, and democracy is eroded.
“The challenge is not only to resist or denounce, but to participate, influence, and win: to win ideas, debates, elections, and institutions. Political Network for Values (PNfV) has understood something essential—that this battle is cultural, political, and moral at the same time,” he added.
For his part, Morawiecki warned that there is no freedom of expression in China or Russia, and that in Europe it is being steadily eroded—something he described as a symptom that the European Union itself is breaking apart.
He also stressed that the responses to this challenge must be guided by common sense and goodwill.
Santiago Abascal recalled that freedom of expression is rooted in Roman law, Greek art, and Christian values, which form the foundation of Western culture. However, he noted that today, when one takes a stand in favor of the family, labels are applied in an attempt to silence that message.
He concluded: “The crack in the wall is growing wider; more and more spaces of freedom are emerging, and that is why they seek to censor them. I am optimistic: freedom and truth will act like water, seizing every crack to find their way through.”
Stephen Bartulica, President of PNfV and Member of the European Parliament, warned that the gathering was only a beginning: the beginning of a journey to bring together like-minded voices, ensure they are not silenced, and enable them to shape both culture and politics.
The session concluded with the reading of a Declaration by 40 young participants from 22 countries who took part in the Summit, calling on attendees to promote a roadmap in favor of freedom of expression. “For our part, we commit to living in truth and choosing courage over silence,” they stated.
High-Level Dialogue
The Summit is co-organized by Political Network for Values (PNfV) and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) parliamentary group, with the collaboration of Patriots for Europe (PfE).
In addition to Kast, Morawiecki, and Abascal, speakers included Members of the European Parliament: Patryk Jaki, Co-Chair of the ECR Group; Kinga Gál, Vice-President of the PfE Group; Branko Grims, European People’s Party (EPP), Slovenia; Laurence Trochu, ECR, France; Enikö Györi, PfE, Hungary; Tom Vandendriessche, PfE, Belgium; Margarita de la Pisa, PfE, Spain; Carlo Fidanza and Paolo Inselvini, ECR, Italy; as well as Stephen Bartulica, ECR, Croatia.
Other participants included Luz Pacheco, President of the Constitutional Court of Peru; Clara Muzzio, Deputy Chief of Government of the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Fabiola Morales, Deputy Mayor of Lima, Peru; and Ernesto Araújo, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil.
Members of national parliaments also took part, including Nikolas Ferreira of Brazil; Santiago Santurio and Nicolás Mayoraz of Argentina; Lucy Akello of Uganda; Jesse Okey-Joe Onuakalusi of Nigeria; Ronald Portillo of Guatemala; and Andrés Castillo of Ecuador.
Additional participants included Ádám Kavecsánszki, President of the Foundation for a Civic Hungary; Fernando Sánchez, Rector of the Catholic University of Costa Rica; journalists Alvino-Mario Fantini, Editor-in-Chief of The European Conservative, and Bart-Jan Spruyt, Opinion Editor at CNE News; as well as political commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek.
Members of the PNfV Council of Experts also intervened, including Jay Richards and Grace Melton, researchers at The Heritage Foundation, and Polonia Castellanos, President of the Christian Lawyers Association. Members of the PNfV Board of Directors also participated: Neydy Casillas, Vice President of the Global Center for Fundamental Rights; Sharon Slater, President of Family Watch International; and Rodrigo Iván Cortés, Vice President of the Board.
Finally, expert analyses were presented by Adina Portaru, Senior Counsel for Europe at ADF International; Gregor Puppinck, Director General of the European Center for Law and Justice; and Catholic priest Benedict Kiely. All the organizations mentioned work to uphold human dignity and promote fundamental values across diverse areas.
