by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief reporting from Budapest, Hungary
BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – U.S. President Donald J. Trump used a major conservative gathering in Hungary to endorse Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of a high-stakes April 12 election, as warnings over mass migration and what speakers described as the “Islamization of Europe” dominated the conference.
The event, held at Budapest’s MTK Sports Centre, marked the fifth edition of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Hungary, one of the world’s largest conservative gatherings originating in the United States.
The conference is organized by Hungary’s publicly funded Center for Fundamental Rights.
Trump did not attend but addressed delegates via a video message, offering his “complete and total endorsement” of Orbán and urging voters to secure a decisive victory.
He praised Hungary as proof that “borders can be defended” and crime reduced, adding Europe must “work very hard” to tackle migration challenges.
TRUMP BACKS ORBÁN
U.S. Vice President JD Vance also did not attend, though he is expected to visit Hungary in April in support of Orbán’s campaign, officials said.
In a keynote address, Viktor Orbán said the election is decisive not only for Hungary but for Europe.
“We are fighting for the soul of the Western world,” Orbán said, arguing Europe must return to sovereign nations rather than what he described as control from an unaccountable Brussels bureaucracy.
He said Trump’s return to power had reshaped global politics, claiming “woke ideology” has receded while opposition to migration is more openly expressed.
Orbán portrayed Hungary as a key outpost of a broader conservative realignment, under pressure from both Brussels and Kyiv.
ORBÁN WARNS EUROPE
Migration and identity dominated speeches throughout the day, drawing strong reactions from the audience gathered in the indoor sports complex.
Dutch commentator Eva Vlaardingenbroek said Europe is “an inherently diverse continent characterized by sovereign nation states.”
“We are bound through history, culture, our faith in Christ and ethnicity,” she said.
She cited violent incidents, including what she described as the killing of a 17-year-old Dutch girl named Liza by an undocumented migrant. She said Liza “was stabbed in the throat 12 times.”
“I do not think about numbers,” Vlaardingenbroek said. “I think about the fate of our people.”
CONTROVERSIAL MIGRATION CLAIMS
She added victims “were stabbed by immigrants and then…stabbed in the back once again by their legal systems.”
“Our reality…has become a reality of fear because the public space has become an unpredictable jungle,” she said.
In more controversial remarks, she added that “white people are facing an institutional and concerted attack.”
Vlaardingenbroek said “over the last 50 years alone, more than 80 million migrants” have entered Europe, calling the figures “conservative estimates,” and adding about 30 million arrived in the past decade.
She also cited figures suggesting about 4.2 million people entered the European Union from non-European Union countries in 2024, or roughly 11,500 per day.
INTEGRATION DEBATE INTENSIFIES
“That’s your average European small town or a football stadium full of people entering this continent every single day,” she said.
She added: “We were told that the people coming here that those Africans and Arabs would become just as European as we are and that they would integrate into our societies. Of course, they did not.”
Critics say such claims oversimplify complex migration trends and risk fueling division.
Dutch politician Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-Islam, pro-Israel Party for Freedom (PVV), echoed those concerns.
However, Wilders stressed it was crucial that Orbán wins the upcoming vote.
WILDERS SAYS ‘ORBÁN LION’
“He is a lion in a Europe led by sheep,” Wilders said, adding there is “no more important issue than stopping mass migration.” He suggested that Orbán’s victory would also help in fighting what he views as a woke and anti-Israel agenda. “We hear slogans like ‘queers for Palestine.’ That’s like saying: ‘chickens for KFC’,” he added, referring to the fast food chain.
While Trump and Vance stayed away, the conference featured European figures including Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) party; Herbert Kickl, leader of Austria’s Freedom Party (FPÖ); and Santiago Abascal, head of Spain’s Vox party.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš had been expected but returned to Prague after a suspected arson attack at a military-linked drone facility. There were no immediate confirmed reports of casualties.
The opening address was delivered by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, who stressed national identity.
The CPAC event came at a time when Orbán remains at odds with the European Union on migration and Ukraine.
EU DIVISIONS ON UKRAINE
He has blocked a 90 billion euro European Union loan package for Kyiv, linking this to disputes over Russian oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline.
Kyiv says Russian attacks damaged the pipeline and that restoring operations will take time. Orbán accused Brussels of interfering in national politics while prioritizing war and migration policies.
With elections approaching, the gathering underscored Hungary’s vote as a focal point for international conservative movements.
Independent media, including Worthy News, were largely excluded from the gathering.
However, supporters portray Orbán as a defender of (press) freedom, sovereignty, and national identity, while critics warn his rhetoric risks deepening divisions across Europe.
The outcome of next month’s election is expected to shape Hungary’s future and Europe’s broader debate over Islam, migration, identity, and sovereignty.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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