The energetic trio of Alice Weidel, Santiago Abascal, and Javier Milei concluded this year’s CPAC Hungary, held under the motto ‘On to Victory’ on Saturday, 21 March. The leaders of two of Europe’s strongest patriotic opposition parties, Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and VOX, alongside the Argentinian president, delivered fiery speeches centred on sovereignty, freedom, anti-globalism, and Hungary’s upcoming election.

Entering the stage accompanied by her favourite song, Alice Weidel began her speech by thanking Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for hosting CPAC Hungary, and described the country as a ‘beacon of hope in Europe’.

Weidel argued that Europe is once again at a ‘crossroads of destiny’, warning of ‘more violence, more lies, and less freedom’ across the continent. She contrasted this trajectory with what she described as Europe’s historic foundations—‘Greek philosophy, Roman statecraft, and Christian tradition’—which, in her view, established the rights of citizens, freedom of thought and press, and the principle of self-determination for both individuals and nations.

These, she stressed, are not abstract ideas but ‘convictions that bind us together’, rooted in the protection of families, respect for private property, and free market competition as drivers of prosperity and human progress. According to the AfD leader, only the sovereign democratic nation-state provides a sufficiently secure framework for these values to endure—something that, she cautioned, ‘we may not take for granted’.

Invoking historical parallels, Weidel pointed to both the 1956 Hungarian revolution and the 1953 East German workers’ uprising as reminders of the cost of freedom. ‘Germans and Hungarians, two proud nations, know exactly what it costs to define liberty—the price is worth paying,’ she said, adding: ‘We Germans will never ever forget what we owe to the Hungarian nation.’

‘Only the sovereign democratic nation-state provides a sufficiently secure framework for these values to endure’

Turning to present-day challenges, she argued that freedom and self-determination are now ‘under attack from within’, identifying ‘globalist elites’ and Brussels as primary actors. In this context, she sharply criticized illegal mass migration, claiming it ‘forces our own people to flee their homes’ and ‘steals the very soul of our European nations’.

Weidel delivered harsh criticism of the EU’s position on the war in Ukraine, describing Kyiv as ‘one of the most corrupt regimes’ in Europe and accusing Brussels of prolonging ‘a war that is not ours’.

According to Weidel, Brussels ‘seems to believe the patience of European peoples is infinite—but they are wrong’. She pointed to the ‘surging support of AfD’ and the ‘rock-solid backing’ the Hungarian people give to Viktor Orbán as evidence that public tolerance is wearing thin.

Concluding her speech, Weidel declared that ‘we will have to fight once more for our freedom and self-determination’. While acknowledging that ‘the means may be different’, she insisted that ‘the courage is the same as before’, adding that ‘we count ourselves truly blessed to stand shoulder to shoulder’. She closed with a message directed at Hungary ahead of its upcoming elections: ‘God bless Hungary, God bless Germany, and God bless a free Europe,’ endorsing Viktor Orbán for re-election.

Abascal described Hungary as the homeland of freedom, sovereignty, and security. PHOTO: Tamás Gyurkovits/Hungarian Conservative

Taking the stage after Weidel, Spanish VOX leader Santiago Abascal struck a similar tone, describing Hungary as a ‘shining beam of light in the darkness’ in Europe—an example other nations should follow. He portrayed the country as a ‘homeland of freedom, sovereignty, and security’, and as a ‘faithful guardian of Western civilization’.

Abascal warned that ‘our enemies want to finish off Fidesz and Viktor Orbán’, precisely because they represent a barrier against the European Commission, which he accused of impoverishing families and failing to protect Europe’s borders. In his words, Brussels has become the ‘last bunker of globalism’, but one that ‘we will occupy’, arguing that Hungarians have already ‘shown the way’ towards a sovereign Europe where decision-making rests with nations.

He also highlighted the stakes of Hungary’s upcoming parliamentary election, calling it ‘crucial’ for the continent’s future. If Viktor Orbán were to lose, Abascal claimed, Hungary would ‘sink into the abyss’ created by the European Commission—an outcome he suggested has already befallen several countries, including Spain.

Milei argued that Hungary has a central role in the process of Europe regaining confidence in its own history. PHOTO: Tamás Gyurkovits/Hungarian Conservative

The final speaker of the trio was President Javier Milei of Argentina, who arrived on stage with notable energy. He began by stating that Europe must ‘regain confidence in its own history’, adding that Hungary has a central role in this process, with Orbán as ‘one of the bravest and most decisive voices’ capable of leading the continent back onto the ‘right path’.

Milei continued by stressing that Hungary and Argentina are united by their shared ‘love of freedom’, outlining his hierarchy of political decision-making: ‘first morality, second economic efficiency, and only third political gain’. He warned that many countries have suffered because politicians reversed this order. He cited the Soviet Union, Cuba, and Argentina’s own past as examples where freedom was sacrificed for alleged efficiency, but ultimately for political interests.

‘Hungary and Argentina are united by their shared “love of freedom”’

Turning to Brussels, Milei argued that misguided European policies are often justified ‘in the name of noble goals’, which he described as ‘a trick’. ‘Every subsidy is a bought vote, every open border an expanded voter register,’ he said, also warning that redistributive policies violate private property.

As a result, Milei continued, Europe is stagnating, has been left without the rule of law, and it is now clear that its leaders have zero political credibility. He concluded by stating that today, we are witnessing a transformation of the world order: the era of global cooperation without a moral compass has come to an end. ‘Hungary and Argentina, meanwhile, are two countries that are open to change,’ Milei stressed.

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