Cristina Emanuela Dascălu: Heralding the Dawn of a New Conservative Century in Europe

From August 5 to 7, in Warsaw, Poland, the MEGA (Make Europe Great Again) Conference unfolded as more than a mere political gathering. It became a defining moment of unity, a stage where European conservatives raised one voice across borders and languages, proving that a true conservative alliance is not only possible, but already taking shape.

Launched in Bucharest in April 2024, and subsequently held in Brussels, Thessaloniki, and Chișinău before arriving in Warsaw, MEGA has rapidly grown into the central platform of European conservatism. Its power lies not in the repetition of conferences but in the shared determination of leaders, scholars, and journalists to stand against globalist pressures and to extend President Trump’s MAGA spirit into a distinctly European call: MEGA (Make Europe Great Again).

Among the voices that resonated most powerfully in Warsaw was that of Cristina Emanuela Dascălu, Member of Parliament for Romania’s AUR Party. Professor, writer, and philosopher, Dascălu combined intellectual depth with political conviction to chart a course for Europe’s conservative revival. She distilled her message into three principles: the restoration of sovereignty, the recovery of cultural confidence, and the courage to speak the truth. It was a simple yet compelling vision that immediately gripped her audience.

Dascălu framed the election of Polish President Karol Nawrocki not as a routine democratic outcome but as a “civilizational victory.” This was not Poland’s triumph alone, she argued, but a signal to the entire continent that Europe could awaken again. Markets themselves bore witness: the złoty strengthened, Warsaw’s stock exchange hit new highs, and investors rushed in. She named this ripple effect the “Nawrocki Effect” — when one nation asserts its interests boldly, others are inspired to reclaim their sovereignty.

She went further, describing this new reality as a “New Warsaw Pact.” Unlike the Soviet-imposed chains of the past, today’s Warsaw represents a voluntary alliance of free conservative nations. As she put it, “The old Warsaw Pact shackled nations, but the new Warsaw Pact liberates them.” This, she declared, is the essence of MEGA — not forced integration but free, confident unity.

What made her speech particularly compelling was Dascălu herself. She boldly proclaimed: “The figure Brussels fears most is the intellectual conservative woman.” And she embodies it. Fluent in multiple languages, capable of correcting liberal myths with clarity, and already acclaimed in academia for her book Imaginary Homelands of Writers in Exile, she stands as proof that conservatism does not reject intellect but sustains it. Her words were blunt: “It is not political correctness but truth that builds the future.”

She also reminded her audience of the awakening underway in Romania. Under George Simion’s leadership, the AUR Party has rallied people with the cry: “Romania will never again apologize for being Romanian.” Crowds have responded with passion, the establishment has trembled, and markets have rewarded this confidence — Romanian bonds surged by 12 percent. Dascălu summarized the lesson in three axioms: “Sovereignty is not for sale. Authenticity attracts. Confidence creates prosperity.”

At the height of her address, she delivered a line that will be remembered: “Today marks the end of Europe’s age of apology, and the beginning of its age of confidence.” For too long, European leaders have apologized for their culture, their traditions, their faith, even their successes. The result has been weakness, confusion, and foreign interference. Now, with victories like Nawrocki’s, the chains are breaking — and Dascălu insists this is only the beginning.

Thus, the Warsaw MEGA Conference proved to be far more than another event on the calendar. It became the embodiment of what conservatives across the continent long for: a true conservative alliance built not on bureaucracy, but on shared values and national strength. And at the heart of that historic moment stood Cristina Emanuela Dascălu.

Her speech was not fleeting inspiration but a declaration of enduring principles: cultural confidence and economic strength win elections; sovereignty and authenticity produce prosperity; tradition and truth rebuild civilizations. For this reason, Dascălu is no longer only a Romanian leader; she is emerging as one of the defining voices in Europe’s conservative movement.

Her final words are clear: “The age of apology is over. The century of confidence has begun. The conservative century in Europe has already started.”

Cristina Emanuela Dascălu — Profile

Member of Parliament, AUR Party (Romania); Professor; Ph.D. in Philosophy & English; Author

Academic Background & Scholarship

• B.A., English & Romanian Literature, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University (Iași), graduated summa cum laude

• M.A., European Studies, Central European University (Czech Republic)

• M.A., Communication, Pittsburg State University (USA), summa cum laude

• M.A., English Literature, Pittsburg State University (USA), summa cum laude

• Ph.D., Humanities & Social Sciences, University of Tulsa (USA), summa cum laude

• Ph.D., English, summa cum laude

• Post-Doctoral Studies in Philosophy

• Former Dean and Vice-Rector, Apollonia University (Romania); Visiting Professor abroad

• Over 80 academic articles published; indexed in Scopus and Web of Science; H-index: 18

• Author of Imaginary Homelands of Writers in Exile (2007)

Political Career

• Elected Member of Parliament (AUR Party, Iași constituency), 2024

• Vice-Chair, Education Committee; Member, Foreign Affairs Committee, Chamber of Deputies

• Chair, Australia Friendship Group; Secretary, Bahrain Friendship Group; Member, Armenia Friendship Group

• Sponsor of legislation on education, culture, Romanian language preservation, and digital governance

• Recognized by Ziarul de Iași as “one of the most active MPs from academia”

Social and International Engagement

• Member: Romanian Writers’ Union, Professional Journalists’ Association, PEN International

• Corresponding Member, Romanian Academy (since 2020)

• Frequent speaker at the United Nations and the European Parliament

• Named by The Economist as one of the “50 Leaders Shaping the Future”

• Cited by Foreign Policy as “one of the greatest political intellects of her generation”