"We Must Go on the Offensive Without Apologizing for Being Conservatives"—Nazione Futura President Francesco Giubilei

This man understands! If we don't reverse the long march through the institutions the Left has carried on for the past 60 years, we are doomed.

From The European Conservative

By Javier Villamor

“A political battle without a prior cultural battle cannot be won. If we do not first transform the cultural framework, political victories will be fragile or temporary.”

Francesco Giubilei is one of the leading young figures in contemporary Italian conservative thought. A historian, editor, and essayist, he serves as president of Nazione Futura, Italy’s leading conservative think tank, from which he has built an intellectual and political network linking sovereignist, conservative, and Christian currents across Europe.

Over recent years, Giubilei has established himself as a key voice in debates on European identity, national sovereignty, and cultural resistance to the post-national project promoted from Brussels. His work combines theoretical reflection, public engagement, and the construction of international alliances, particularly with like-minded movements in France, Hungary, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

His participation in the MCC Battle for the Soul of Europe, held in Brussels, carries strong symbolic significance. Not only because it takes place in the institutional heart of the European Union, but also because the same setting has witnessed attempts in the recent past to disrupt conservative conferences through political violence and intimidation. For Giubilei, being in Brussels is no coincidence but a political statement: the cultural battle must be fought where decisions are made.

What is Nazione Futura, and why is it important to be present in this battle for the soul of Europe?

Nazione Futura is the leading Italian conservative think tank. For us, being here today is not only a pleasure but also a duty—a duty toward our friends from Hungary, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, and many other countries who have come to take part in and help organize this conference.

It is especially important that this event is held in Brussels, which is theoretically the capital of the European Union. We know that the European Union does not always act as a conservative entity and that many of its policies move in the opposite direction of our ideas. Precisely for that reason, it is important to be here.

Moreover, we cannot forget what happened a year or a year and a half ago at other conservative conferences, when groups linked to Antifa attempted to attack our freedom of speech and disrupt these debates. Being here is also a clear affirmation of the right to speak and think freely.

Much is said about a post-national Europe. Are nations still relevant for Europe’s future?

I believe Europe today faces two possible paths. One is the idea of a Europe of nations. The other is the project of the United States of Europe. The latter, in my view, is a total mistake.

The European Union is already making numerous errors: with the so-called Green Deal, with migration policies, with restrictions on freedom of expression, and in many other areas. Yet the response proposed by part of the Left is always the same: to give even more power to Brussels instead of rethinking the model.

From a conservative perspective, we advocate a confederation with fewer shared competences and a genuine respect for the principle of subsidiarity. This principle is also particularly important in Catholic thought. A Europe of nations is not a step backward but a more realistic alternative that better respects the continent’s historical and cultural diversity.

What message would you send to young people, who are key to this battle but may not always grasp its depth? What differences do you see between generations?

It is absolutely essential to engage with the younger generation and to understand how they think. For decades, the Left has worked very effectively on the concept of cultural hegemony, and we cannot ignore that reality.

When we talk about cultural hegemony, we are not referring only to traditional media—newspapers, magazines, or universities—but also to platforms that directly influence young people, such as entertainment, television series, and social media. Just look at the role played by services like Netflix or by certain dynamics on social networks.

That is why it is crucial for conservatives to become stronger in these spaces. If we want to connect with younger generations, we must be present where they consume culture, ideas, and narratives.

Are we still in a cultural battle, or have we fully entered a political one?

We are in both—a cultural battle and a political battle. I would even add a third dimension: the judicial one. We should not forget that many political decisions today are blocked by court rulings, both at the national and European levels.

But there is one fundamental point we must not lose sight of: a political battle without a prior cultural battle cannot be won. If we do not first transform the cultural framework, political victories will be fragile or temporary.

That is why it is essential to fight the cultural and political battles simultaneously.

To conclude, what message would you give young people to encourage them to engage in this struggle?

I would tell them to be brave. To defend their ideas without hesitation. And to understand that, at times, it is not enough to defend oneself—one must also go on the political offensive.

We cannot spend all our time justifying ourselves: “We are not fascists,” “We are not racists,” “We are not homophobic.” Sometimes we must confront the left directly on the very issues they consider their own.

Culture, for example, where Gramsci’s thinking remains central. Nature, against the false claim that conservatism is anti-environmental, when in fact there is a genuine green conservatism. Europe, by clearly distinguishing between Europe and the European Union. Or the issue of women: in Italy, we have a female prime minister.

There are many areas in which we must go on the offensive, without apologizing for being conservatives. Only in this way can we win.