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From the Observatory of the Political Network for Values
Transatlantic Dialogues: Europe won't have a future unless it acknowledges its Christian roots and strengthens families
 

It won’t be possible to build a sound future for Europe unless its political leaders will strengthen families and embrace the heritage of its past, its judeo-christian roots. This formula has been proven effective for achieving peace, especially by the second half of the last century, and it is the key to a true unity. Without that, the identities of the different peoples in the continent are diluted, and the possibility of a common future is extinguished. That is the consensus of a large group of legislators, members of government and parties, diplomats, judges and prosecutors from 23 countries in America and Europe, who have been recently together for the latest edition of the Transatlantic dialogues, promoted by the Political Network for Values (PNfV).

On Monday 19th April, the digital colloquium discussed “The future of demochristian values in the European Union”. Katalin Novák, Minister of Family of Hungary, vice-president of the Fidesz party and president of the PNfV, and Lorenzo Fontana, former Minister of Family and European Matters of Italy and vice-secretary of the La Liga party, opened the discussion. More than forty political actors took part in the event, as well as over 100 citizens and leaders from 25 countries, from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Honduras, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, the United States, United Kingdom and Uruguay.

This Transatlantic dialogue was held within the framework of the Conference on the Future of Europe, launched that same day by the European Union authorities. It’s an ambitious consultation process, which will last for one year and is supposed to be a forum for debate between politicians and the civil society regarding matters that “concern and affect the daily lives” of the continent residents. There has already been criticism of the Conference due to the way it was set up – ignoring the perspective of conservative governments and parliament groups – and the established criteria, likely to generate an ideological bias. Our network has decided to join that debate so that, with or without restrictions, the voice and contribution of those who love and support the fundamental values and liberties may be heard.

What does this contribution consist of? As summarized by Katalin Novák: it is a “yes” to human dignity, life, family, Christianity, work and responsibility, freedom, identity and sovereignty of our peoples; at the same time, it is a “no” to totalitarianisms, communism, antisemitism, the “culture of discarding”, censorship, the weakening of family and the artificial unity that denies our very roots.

Novák reminded us that the peoples of Europe have originated from a Christian cultural source and that a continental unity that recognizes each nation’s identity is only possible if that root is acknowledged. She emphasized that the founding act of the EU – the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1950 – was based on the Christian values of its founders: Robert Schuman, from France, Alcide de Gasperi from Italy, and Konrand Adenauer from Germany. This is a milestone that shouldn’t be forgotten. She also mentioned the meeting held in Budapest the last 1st April between the Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, and the leader of the Italian Liga party, Matteo Salvini, as a step towards the rescue of that inheritance.

Lorenzo Fontana called the attention to the fact that in the EU it prevails “a new form of totalitarianism”, which rejects Christianism, imposes other standards for man and society and openly attacks the institution of family. “Family is the last bastion against this new form of totalitarianism, and the definitive key to our future, […] it is the first community where the person is welcomed and sheltered an educative institution, a vector for traditions, a structure that creates intergenerational bounds and an important well-being provider”.

Fontana emphasized that “our responsibility is to defend and protect every person, family and traditional communities”, providing a fine alternative that may fill with hope, ingrained in the truth and based on identity. “This is not a one country’s battle; we are all involved”.

During the dialogue, Ángela Gandra, the Brazilian National Secretary of the Family, followed on the same line and stated that “we have to use public reasons for our hope” and present the Christian values not as a threat to human values, but as their full implementation. “Our approach must not be a top-down one; we must understand, wait, be modest, firm and perseverant”, and stress that the axis of social relationships must be love, which is in the centre of the Christian message: “we must always love as much as possible, in the political field too”.

Also took the floor the Hungarian MEPs Kinga Gál and Balász Hidvéghi, both of the Fidesz party; the Spanish MPs Georgina Trias (in writing) and Ignacio Garriga, of the Vox party; the Brazilian MP Bernardo Bartolomeo Moreira, of the Novo party; Egidijus Vareikis, former Lithuanian Foreign Minister; Ján Figel’ (in writing), former president of the Slovak party Christian Democratic Movement; Isabel María Salazar, vice-president of the Ecuatorian Justice and Peace Comission; and Rodrigo Iván Cortés, vice-president of the PNfV board.

You may watch the full video of the session here or read the chronicle prepared for you by our communication team. And take note: in May the Transatlantic dialogues will address successful experiences on shielding the right to life in some countries.

There is another matter I want to talk to you about:

The resounding defeat of the Puebla Group. Last 11th April, South America lived an electoral “super Sunday”. There were presidential elections in Ecuador (second round) and Peru (first round) and balloting in 4 Bolivian provinces. The Puebla Group (PG), the region’s new progressist unifying centre, betted big and predicted it would win it all; however, all its candidates were defeated. Andrés Arauz, Rafael Correa’s strongman, was beaten in Ecuador; Verónica Mendoza got the sixth place in Peru; and in Bolivia Evo Morales’s Movement for Socialism lost all four governorships it fought for.

The winner in Ecuador was Guillermo Lasso, a man of clear beliefs, an advocate of the right to life, family and fundamental liberties; a convinced Catholic without complex. He claims not to be rightist not leftist, but conservative in social matters and libertarian in economy. His successful professional career was built in banking institutions. He is married to María de Lourdes Alcívar Crespo, with whom he has five children. Our network looks hopefully on his arrival to the presidency of Ecuador. I have prepared for you a profile of Lasso and a brief analysis. Read it here.

In Peru, the situation is complex. Although the PG’s candidate got a very few votes, the first place went to Pedro Castillo, an outsider that nobody saw coming. There was an extraordinary vote fragmentation: none of the candidates got more than 20%. Castillo received 19% of the votes; the second and third places 13% and 12%, respectively. All the other votes were divided between 15 candidates.

The bad news is that Castillo is from the radical left, closer to communism than to socialism; besides that, he intends to convene a constituent assembly and close the Constitutional Court. During his campaign, he has declared himself to be against abortion, gender ideology, equalization of same-sex unions to matrimony and legalization of drugs, but his government programme and alliances support all of these points.

The good news is that the candidate who is going to face Castillo in the second round, Keiko Fujimori, has publicly and unequivocally declared in a video that she will defend life and family, and his party, Fuerza Popular, supports her. In addition to that, Rafael López Aliaga, the most conservative candidate and who got the third place, declared his support for her. His party, Renovación Popular, has the fourth biggest caucus in the Congress, with 13 seats. Carlos Polo, member of our Experts Committee, has prepared for you a more detailed analysis of what is at stake in Peru. Read it here.
 
An invitation from the Intermarium. Finally, we would like to invite you to join an important event of which we are co-organizers, along with the Ordo Iuris Institute from Poland: the Intermarium Regional Conference on the Geneva Consensus Declaration (GCD), to be held online next Thursday, 29th April. You can register and join through this link; the event is public and free. Lola Velarde, our executive director, will be on of the speakers. We are committed to promote the GCD, which encourages the protection to women’s health, in conjunction with the acknowledgement of the right to life, the promotion of the family and the respect to national sovereignty; a valuable tool for our countries to face improper pressure from international organizations. Schedule it and join us.

I leave to you below the link to the two analysis we have prepared for you, as well as other information that may be of your interest.
 

New defeat for abortion in the Mexican Congress

Mexico City | The Chamber of Deputies of Mexico has been trying in various ways to approve a package of constitutional reforms in order to legalize abortion in the country. Thanks to the mobilization of citizen organizations and prolife legislators, it seems that the threat is over for what is left of this parliamentary term, that lasts until 30th April. Read more.
 
 
Arkansas passes a law that de facto forbids abortion
 
Little Rock | Asa Hutchinson, governor of the southern American State Arkansas, has passed a law that practically forbids abortion, since it only allows its performance “in order to save the life of the woman in a medical emergency”, in accordance with the medical lex artis. Read more.
 
 
First defeat of Soros in the European Human Rights Court

Strasbourg | On 20th April, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe chose the new Belgian judge for the European Human Rights Court. Among the three candidates that were proposed by the Belgian government, there was a lawyer employed by George Soros’s Open Society, as usual. For the first time in a long time, however, Open Society’s candidate was not chosen. Read more.
 
 
Elections in Peru: a threatening communist surprise
Analysis | How to assess the result of the election on 11th April in Peru? Who is Pedro Castillo and what ideas does he support? Is Keiko Fujimori aligned to our values? What is at stake in the country for the second round? An analysis of the electoral results in Peru, prepared by Carlos Polo, director for Iberoamerica of the Population Research Institute and member of the Experts Committee of our network. Read more.
 
 
This is Lasso, Ecuador’s new president
 
Analysis | Who is Guillermo Lasso and why does he raise so many hopes among conservatives and prolife and profamily leaders of Ecuador and Latin America? A profile of the new president of Ecuador that I prepared for you. Read more.
 
 
Finally, if you have any relevant information that you would like us to include in the newsletters or want to share something about the work you are doing in your country for the protection, promotion and defense of fundamental rights and freedoms, feel free to contact me.
 
Sincerely,
 
Diego Hernández
Director of Communication and Development for Iberoamerica
Political Network for Values
diegohernandez@politicalnetworkforvalues.org
 
Take note:
We invite you to the Intermarium Regional Conference on the Geneva Consensus Declaration (GCD), to be held online on next Thursday 29th April. You can register an join through this link. The event in public and free.
 
Don’t forget to schedule also:
 
For questions or comments please contact office@politicalnetworkforvalues.org
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