Hungary's newly elected prime minister, Péter Magyar, moved swiftly in the opening days of his administration to target what he described as improper financial ties between the previous government and the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
Magyar, who secured a decisive electoral victory, announced that his government would immediately halt any public funding linked to CPAC's annual conferences held in Hungary.
Speaking at a press conference, Magyar alleged that the administration of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had directed state resources toward supporting the American conservative organization's events in Budapest.
Magyar even went so far as to call it a "crime" that needed to be investigated.
"I believe the state should never have financed them in the first place," Magyar said this week, adding that the matter warranted a full legal review by Hungarian authorities.
Orbán conceded Sunday after Magyar's center-right opposition party defeated him in a landslide, ending a 16-year rule.
Magyar's move to target one of America's leading conservative organizations closely aligned with President Donald Trump suggests that the new prime minister may tack a confrontational course with Washington.
Trump issued multiple enthusiastic endorsements for Orbán, while Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to Hungary's capital, Budapest, to campaign on his behalf.
The CPAC organized five of its events in Budapest and repeatedly featured Orbán and his political allies as keynote speakers over the years.
Before the election, the official CPAC account posted a tweet announcing the organization "stand[s] firmly" with Orbán and expressed hope for his electoral victory.
Magyar's announcement signals a sharp break from his predecessor's approach, particularly regarding Hungary's role as a hub for international conservative activism.
At the center of the controversy are allegations that Hungarian taxpayer money was used to underwrite CPAC's presence in the country, a claim the organization has firmly denied.
In a statement, CPAC Chair Matt Schlapp rejected the allegations and defended the organization's funding structure and legal compliance.
"CPAC has never received funding from the Hungarian government," Schlapp said in a statement responding to the accusations.
"Headquartered in the USA, CPAC started an international model 10 years ago that is effective and is fully compliant with all relevant laws," the statement continued.
"This movement is based on donations from a wide array of sources, and we are thankful to our supporters, and we don't comment on who they are because lawfare also intends to close their checkbooks," Schlapp added.
"That being said, any decisions on the use of government money in Hungary will have zero impact on our organization, as it has never received any of these funds," he concluded.
CPAC also released a photograph showing that Magyar attended its conference in 2022.
Magyar emphasized that while CPAC and similar groups would remain free to operate in Hungary, his government would enforce stricter oversight to ensure no public funds are used to support private political organizations.
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