**Europe's Conservatives Seek Momentum with US Support as Key Elections Loom**

European conservative movements are shaping their narratives and strategies around upcoming elections, inspired by US political dynamics and rhetoric.

In a pivotal week for European conservatives, the US Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) convened large-scale events in Poland and Hungary, drawing attention to key upcoming elections. The timing is critical as Poland prepares for a presidential run-off this Sunday between CPAC-backed nationalist Karol Nawrocki and liberal Mayor of Warsaw, Rafal Trzaskowski, which CPAC members characterized as a "battle for Western civilization."

Traditionally regarded as a meeting ground for conservative activists in the US, CPAC has gained momentum with Donald Trump's return to the political forefront, marking the resurgence of the Make America Great Again movement. In Budapest, Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban proclaimed the conference a gathering of resilience, referring to President Trump as a "truth serum," and advocating for a rejuvenated Europe under what he calls "the Age of Patriots."

With fervent applause, Orban, along with other speakers, criticized the European Union's Green Deal, expressing concerns about immigration and what they termed "gender and woke madness." The conference atmosphere, amplified by vibrant music and visuals, created a stark contrast to traditional political events, wherein older politicians appeared somewhat impressed by the spectacle.

Orban voiced his fears, stating, "Europeans do not feel safe in their own towns… This is not integration; it is population replacement." These sentiments resonated with speakers such as Alice Weidel from Germany’s AfD and Geert Wilders of the Netherlands' Freedom Party, each representing a movement geared towards redefining European conservatism by moving away from established EU liberalism.

The gathering included a diverse array of political figures, from former British Prime Minister Liz Truss and Australian ex-Prime Minister Tony Abbott to leaders from across Europe, including Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and representatives from the Indian political sphere. In Warsaw, US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem publicly endorsed Nawrocki, reinforcing the ties between US and European conservative politics.

While CPAC in the US often centers around entertainment, CPAC Hungary was perceived as having substantial intellectual engagement, creating an essential networking opportunity for nationalist and populist politicians. Rod Dreher, a Budapest-based editor, remarked on Orban's ambition to cultivate Budapest into a hub of dissident European conservative thought.

Despite the enthusiasm from the conference, there are underlying concerns about the sustainability of this movement. Challenges persist, notably with defeats faced by conservative candidates in other European elections and a warning from Romanian nationalist leader George Simion about the potential ripple effects in Hungary if Nawrocki does not succeed.

The conference concluded with a sense of optimism, as participants remained focused on the upcoming Polish election, uncertain yet hopeful for what these elections mean for the future of European conservatism in a landscape marked by both ambition and adversity.