CPAC Kicks Off With Poland, Hungary Events
Above: The VIP entrance to the building of the Budapest Congress Center during an offshoot meeting of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Budapest, Hungary, on May 29, 2025. Image copyright: Attilla Kisbenedek/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
The European expansion of CPAC has spread the malign influence of Trumpism and illiberalism, weakening Europe and the post-war international order. Orbán, whose autocratic tendencies have led to democratic backsliding in Hungary, is a perfect figurehead for a movement that revolves around strongman leaders and a disregard for human rights.
Right narrative
President Trump has sparked a global movement that stands in opposition to the elites and globalists. Never before have Western conservatives been so energized, motivated, and rising to the challenges posed by mass migration, foreign interference, and the anti-family, anti-faith policies pushed by the old order against everyday people.
