Towards a Brave New World: Are Conservatives the New Globalists?

Through shared political policies, deference to the principle of national sovereignty, and cohabitation of global networks and conferences, conservatives have constructed a sovereigntist alternative to the liberal international order. This alliance, irrespective of ideological differences, has created a common set of signs, symbols, and communication methods for conservatives internationally. Yet, while figures such as Donald Trump and Viktor Orbán have become icons of this rising international movement, the unique national character of conservative movements and their patriotic nature are at risk of thinning.

In this brave new conservative world, it is essential that conservatives remain patriotic and considerate of the things which distinguish their nation’s needs and interests from others’. While policy collaboration is emerging in focal points such as migration and scepticism of international institutions, countries must not lose sight of their national interests, especially as the creation of a sovereign internationalism, or national internationalism, is ambitioned, in which the underlying patriotic grounding of the global new right is preserved.

Despite the resonance of conservative patriots and their policies with their electorates, if left unchecked, this international alliance risks transforming into a mirror-image of the liberal international system it seeks to replace. As such, conservatives must sincerely confront the question: are we the globalists now? And most importantly—what will our new globalism look like? Will it be a patriotic vision which respects the principles of national sovereignty, or will it seek to impose new universal modes of thought and governance like its liberal predecessor?