Warsaw, May 27 (AP) The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), recognized as the premier assembly for conservatives in the United States, conducted its inaugural session in Poland this Tuesday. This event comes just five days before Poland's high-stakes presidential election, where a liberal mayor faces off against a conservative candidate endorsed by Donald Trump.
Matt Schlapp, the CPAC chairman, initiated the conference with an impassioned address, asserting that conservatives globally are embroiled in a struggle with "globalists," whom he characterized as adversaries of faith, family, and freedom.
Kristi Noem, the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary and a notable ally of Trump, is poised to deliver a speech at the Warsaw event later in the afternoon. In addition to her address, she is anticipated to have a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda, a conservative leader whose second and conclusive term will end in August.
The candidates contending for Duda's position present starkly divergent futures for Poland: Rafal Trzaskowski, the liberal mayor of Warsaw, and Karol Nawrocki, a conservative historian supported by the ruling Law and Justice party.
Schlapp affirmed CPAC's unwavering support of Trump through his legal hurdles and remarked that similar challenges are unfolding in nations like Poland. He asked the audience, "Are you happy that America is getting closer to being great again? Did the reelection of Donald Trump bring you joy?" He added, "When one of us is under attack, the rest of us must come to that person's defense. The globalists aim to eradicate us individually — to shame, silence, bankrupt, and ruin us, even turning our children against us." Schlapp emphasized the necessity of winning pivotal elections globally, including in Poland, to secure the freedom of all people.
CPAC has long been referred to as the United States' leading conservative gathering, likened to the iconic 1969 Woodstock concert. The conferences, which started in 1974, were initially focused on fiscal conservatism and a strong foreign policy stance. However, in recent years, they have increasingly aligned with the Trump faction of the Republican party and have been redefined as celebrations of the populist strategy championed by the former US president.
The conference is simultaneously expanding its reach by fostering connections with other conservative populists worldwide, aiming to cultivate a global conservative movement. In pursuit of this vision, CPAC has organized events in countries such as Japan, South Korea, Mexico City, and Israel.
Notable speakers regularly featured include Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. The Warsaw event follows several CPAC gatherings in Budapest, Hungary.
Some traditional US conservative activists, influential in domestic CPAC meetings, also weigh strongly due to their ties to the Trump administration. Among them is John Eastman, a scheduled speaker and conservative lawyer known for crafting Trump's failed efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. (AP) PY PY
(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)