People in today's world focus on their own pleasures and see marriage and having children as limitations on their freedom, said Rick Santorum, a former US Republican presidential candidate at CPAC Hungary, also noting that faith should be a priority. Having faith in God and values based on the homeland and family were also stressed by Nigel Farage and Eduardo Bolsonaro, who contributed to the conference in video messages.

Budapest is hosting the first US Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC Hungary) ever held in Europe. The two-day conservative political conference on 19-20 May was originally scheduled for the end of March but was postponed to May due to the war situation in Ukraine.With the triad of God, homeland and family chosen as a motto and central theme, the conference welcomed Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban as the keynote speaker.

Rick Santorum, a former Republican presidential candidate, also addressed the conference. The Left is gaining ground in the West and a new kind of God has risen, the god of the self, the Hungarian news portal Origo reported, quoting Mr Santorum. The former Republican presidential candidate says The self has come into the centre and everyone focuses on their own pleasure, the former Republican presidential candidate said. Most elected leaders not only follow but promote this philosophy of life. Abortion rates and drug use are at record-breaking highs, he added.

In the West the number of believers is steadily in decline, as is the number of children being born. Secularisation to such a degree cannot be seen in Hungary and Slavic countries, Mr Santorum said.

People in today’s world focus on their own pleasures and see marriage and having children as limits to their freedom, said the former Republican presidential candidate. Rick Santorum agreed with Viktor Orban that faith should be a priority.

„We must fight for our children in the face of Evil, and I congratulate Hungary for supporting families and the Church by saying the truth out loud with courage. Societies that have no national identity and don’t have children stand no chance in any battle,”

the US Republican politician said, as reported by Hungary’s state news agency (MTI).

Istvan Kovacs, the strategic director of the Center for Fundamental Rights, which organised CPAC Hungary in cooperation with the American Conservative Union, said that while freedom of speech, religion and patriotism have been persecuted in the United States since the „overthrow” of President Donald Trump, the situation in Europe is even worse.

„In the midst of war and crises, Brussels is not even able to recognise the European interest. We need a strong, competent and capable Europe, but we are far from that, as we saw during the migration crisis and the pandemic. Multinational companies, the masters of Silicon Valley, the global political elite, international organisations are all part of an unholy alliance to dismantle the pillars of our civilisation: faith, family and nation. Our opponents operate worldwide as an organised network,”

Mr Kovacs said, adding that we must unite against the Left.

The conference was addressed by Nigel Farage in a video message. The former leader of the UK Independence Party called the results achieved by Hungary, the fourth consecutive election victory of Fidesz led by Viktor Orban, fantastic.

„We all need to work together. We may have different views, for example on Russia, but we have to focus on our common values,”

Mr Farage said.

Eduardo Bolsonaro, member of the Brazilian House of Representatives and son of the president of the Republic, also sent a video message to CPAC Hungary participants.

„CPAC is a great organisation to provide a platform for discussions about where conservatives are, to recall our past and traditions and to look forward. In Hungary, Brazil and some other countries, conservatives are particularly strong, but the truth must be told to everyone, everywhere,”

Mr Bolsonaro said.