New York Young Republican Club President to Address Pretoria Conference
Stefano Forte, the president of the New York Young Republican Club (NYYRC), is set to be a featured speaker at a significant conference in Pretoria, South Africa, this week. The event, hosted by the Afrikaner nationalist group Lex Libertas, marks a notable step in cementing institutional bonds between American conservative circles, Afrikaner activists, and the European far right.
Strengthening International Far-Right Networks
The Lex Libertas Future of Nations conference, scheduled for 25 February, will bring together a diverse array of right-wing figures. Alongside Forte, who also serves as executive director of the billionaire-funded 1776 Project Pac, attendees include leaders from the Afrikaner Solidarity Movement, members of Belgium's far-right Vlaams Belang party, and a political analyst from a thinktank wholly funded by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's regime.
This gathering is part of a broader trend on the international conference circuit, where right-wing groups worldwide seize opportunities to share ideas and learn from each other. Rita Abrahamsen, a professor of African studies at Oxford University, noted that such events are crucial for forming networks and exchanging strategies among these movements.
Historical Context and Influence on U.S. Policy
The connection between these groups is not new. Afrikaner nationalists have attended recent NYYRC galas in New York, while NYYRC figures have participated in right-wing conferences in Budapest and Brussels. This relationship may have already influenced U.S. foreign policy during the Trump administration.
Jaco Kleynhans, head of international liaison for the Solidarity Movement, revealed in December that engagement with U.S. government officials has increased dramatically, with weekly communications occurring. Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, highlighted that these movements share white nationalist ideologies, which have driven policies like restricting refugee admissions to white South Africans.
Lex Libertas and Its Founder Ernst Roets
Hosting organisation Lex Libertas was founded in February 2025 by Ernst Roets, an Afrikaner activist with deep roots in the Solidarity Movement. Roets, whose parents are from the whites-only settlement of Orania, has spent over two decades within Afrikaner institutions, including the trade union Solidarity and lobby group AfriForum.
Lex Libertas aims to achieve "a viable political dispensation for the peoples of South Africa" through decentralisation and self-governance. Roets has denied accusations of racism, instead criticising South Africa's democratically elected government in such terms. His advocacy has had apparent influence on U.S. foreign policy, particularly during both Trump administrations.
Key Moments in U.S.-Afrikaner Relations
In May 2018, Roets was part of an AfriForum delegation to Washington D.C., where they argued to administration officials and staff of Senator Ted Cruz that Afrikaner farmers faced racial targeting. Following an appearance on Tucker Carlson's Fox News show, Trump tweeted about "large scale killing of white farmers" in South Africa.
Abrahamsen observed that the Afrikaner radical right's overseas advocacy was a strategic move to gain international platforms and force domestic agendas. In February 2025, Trump issued an executive order suspending South African aid and prioritising Afrikaners for refugee resettlement, leading to backlash in South Africa.
NYYRC's Growing Ties and Controversial Stances
Roets has cultivated a relationship with the NYYRC over several years, headlining events alongside figures like Maga influencer Jack Posobiec and former Breitbart London editor Raheem Kassam. At the 113th Annual NYYRC Gala in December 2025, Roets and Joost Strydom of the Orania Movement were described as "determined Afrikaner freedom fighters and close friends of the club."
Forte, who assumed the NYYRC presidency in April 2025, has reinforced these connections. At his first gala as president, he refused to denounce Germany's far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), asking, "You want us to denounce our allies?" He also declared the club's readiness to endorse Trump for a third term in 2028.
International Far-Right Network Expansion
The Pretoria conference highlights an increasingly visible international far-right network. Kleynhans, previously CEO of the Orania Movement, met with senior Trump administration officials in February 2025 to present requests for sanctions against ANC leaders and recognition of Afrikaners as a cultural community.
The Vlaams Belang contingent includes leader Tom Van Grieken and members who have advocated for the Afrikaner cause in European parliaments. The party is a rebrand of Vlaams Blok, which was convicted of racism in 2004. Additionally, Zoltán Koskovics from the Center for Fundamental Rights in Budapest will attend, linking to Orbán's regime and events like CPAC Hungary.
Implications and Expert Analysis
Abrahamsen noted that Orania is increasingly seen as a model of self-government at the local level, attracting interest from groups like Hungary's and Forte's due to its stance against global liberalism. Beirich emphasised that this relationship exemplifies how white nationalism drives administration policies and mainstreams extremist ideologies, with Trump's influence sanctioning such alliances.
As these networks converge in Pretoria, the event underscores the growing coordination among far-right movements globally, with potential impacts on domestic and international politics.
