This past week has marked a significant moment for conservatives in Europe as the US-backed Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) hosted lively events in Poland and Hungary. The stakes are particularly high in Poland, where the presidential run-off is set to take place between CPAC-supported nationalist Karol Nawrocki and liberal incumbent Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, framed by CPAC speakers as a "battle for Western civilization."
Traditionally a gathering ground for conservative activists in the US, CPAC has gained prominence during Donald Trump's presidency, with his "Make America Great Again" movement firmly rooted in the Republican Party. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, opening the session in Budapest, referred to Trump as a “truth serum” and heralded a new era he terms "the Age of Patriots," emphasizing nationalism, traditional family values, and a specific interpretation of Christianity.
With pulsating disco music and a vibrant atmosphere, speakers at the event criticized the EU's Green Deal and identified immigration and "gender and woke madness" as pressing concerns. "Europeans do not feel safe in their own towns, homes, and countries," Orban asserted, drawing on sentiments echoed by other invited leaders from Europe’s far-right factions, including Germany's Alice Weidel and the Netherlands' Geert Wilders. Together, they promote a vision for a conservatism that seeks to redefine the European landscape, dismissing old liberal paradigms.
Speakers included a host of prominent political figures from various countries, including Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, Austria’s Herbert Kickl, former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, and representatives from global conservative movements such as India’s BJP and South America. The international connections were palpable, as various leaders presented themselves as part of a broader coalition against globalism.
In both Warsaw and Budapest, the support for Polish nationalist Nawrocki was reflected in emphatic speeches that positioned him as a proponent of a strong partnership with the United States. Kristi Noem, the US Secretary of Homeland Security, firmly declared that a Nawrocki victory would ensure continued US military support in Poland, further solidifying ties.
However, while the so-called "Mega" movement, a European iteration of Trump's MAGA, appears confident, recent electoral losses in Romania and Albania raise questions about its future viability. Additionally, declining public support and the recent drop in Hungary's fertility rates present potential challenges for Orban's governance.
As uncertainty looms over the Polish elections and fissures emerge in the nationalist agenda across Europe, the weekend left attendees in Budapest feeling hopeful. As they return home, the fate of this reinvigorated conservative movement rests heavily on the outcomes of upcoming elections, with the potential to reshape the continent's political landscape.
