(Bloomberg) -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban addressed a far-right political conference in Brussels after its organizers defeated efforts by city officials to shut it down.

“I think freedom in Europe, and especially in Brussels is in danger, as just yesterday it was shown,” Orban said to the applause of the audience, which included Nigel Farage, the politician who led the campaign to pull the UK out of the European Union.

The forum, organized in part by a group funded by Orban’s government, went ahead for its second and final day on Wednesday after Belgium’s top court overruled a city municipal official’s order to shut it down over public safety concerns. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo had strongly criticized officials in Brussels, calling their attempt “unacceptable” and an infringement on constitutional guarantees of free speech.

The controversy played into the hands of far-right politicians, who have accused government officials across Europe of trying to mute their voices ahead of June elections for the European Parliament.

“New communism is alive and well. It now manifests itself in the EU,” Farage said in an interview late Tuesday after the ban drama. “No alternative views tolerated or allowed.”

Read more: Far-Right Event Backed by Orban Faces Ban Effort in Brussels

Orban has been the ideological standard-bearer of Europe’s nationalist movement, having established what he’s described as an “illiberal” state in the past 14 years in power. The EU continues to withhold about €20 billion ($21.3 billion) of Hungary’s funding over the erosion of the rule of law and the threat to fundamental freedoms.

Once seen as having ambitions to unite Europe’s nationalist parties, Orban told the conference that a leader from a bigger country than Hungary should lead such a united bloc, mentioning Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French opposition leader Marine Le Pen as examples. 

Currently, the nationalist factions are splintered in the European Parliament, limiting their influence over EU policies. Orban has said that his Fidesz party intended to join the European Conservatives and Reformists after the election, which includes Meloni’s ruling party.

--With assistance from Lyubov Pronina.

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