‘We see a lot of inspiration in Prime Minister Orbán and his government,’ said Gavin Wax, the 76th president of the New York Young Republican Club in the latest episode of the podcast hosted by Zoltán Kovács, State Secretary for International Communication and Relations at the Prime Minister’s Office. ‘The Bold Truth About Hungary’.
On Monday, in the latest episode of his English-language podcast entitled ‘The Bold Truth About Hungary’, Zoltán Kovács recalled that the club is perhaps the most significant youth organisation in the United States. The club is led by Gavin Wax, who had visited Hungary for the CPAC conference held in Budapest in May last year. As Hungarian Conservative also reported, in 2022, the organisation awarded Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán with the John Foster Dulles Prize, named after the US Secretary of State who served from 1953 to 1959.
When asked about Hungary, Wax said that it is a ‘fantastic place that doesn’t have the reputation it deserves’, however, he added, this perception seems to be changing, and events like CPAC are helping in that regard.
He also noted that he is impressed by the architecture, the culture, and the arts.
In terms of illiberalism, Gavin Wax explained that the terminology used by the left—illiberal or illiberalism—is clearly part of a narrative that tries to portray people as being against something rather than being for something. At this point, Gavin Wax referred to institutions like the Center for Fundamental Rights, which hosts CPAC Hungary.
‘They are fundamental in creating a counter-narrative
instead of simply accepting the frame created by the left,’ he argued. The Republican politician said, ‘We are not simply against something; we are for something.’ He listed supporting the birth of children, strengthening families, and stronger borders as examples, adding that it is refreshing to see those other countries, including Hungary, not only adopt these ideals but also implement them at the government policy level.
Responding to Zoltán Kovács’s suggestion, the young Republican also spoke about the tactics of American Democrats and the European left,
who seek to fit everything into their own ‘woke’ frame,
which affects everything from defining human rights to defining corruption and how society should be governed. ‘This is a subversive political and cultural ideology aimed at dismantling the fabric of society,’ Gavin Wax emphasised, indicating that the woke ideology, ‘which, frankly, is the biggest American export to Europe and the rest of the world,’ is beginning to ‘turn on its head,’ so people are starting to wake up and we are seeing pushback.
He said he is pleased to see that Hungary and CPAC Hungary are becoming a kind of focal point for the criticism of these ideas, as well as discussing how to effectively fight back against them. ‘Hungary is approaching this from certain avenues and certain perspectives in terms of policies and agenda, and I think this could also be replicated in the United States,’ Gavin Wax highlighted, also citing Florida as an example where similar laws have been enacted to keep LGBTQ propaganda out of schools. ‘So there are common grounds,’ Wax remarked.
The Republican politician also argued that the United States needs to keep an eye on international trends, events,
and draw inspiration from countries like Hungary,
where the Hungarian government is implementing a conservative policy agenda.
Regarding why Viktor Orbán had been nominated for the award, Gavin Wax said: ‘It was an honour to give the award to the Prime Minister. This is another important step in building bridges towards the emerging and already established Hungarian and broader conservative movements. These bridges are crucial steppingstones towards transatlantic cooperation,’ he emphasised. He added: ‘We see a lot of inspiration in Prime Minister Orbán and his government, which is refreshing and unique to see because we don’t see anything like it in Europe. We don’t see anything similar in Western Europe, and certainly nothing similar in the broader Western world. Where he is taking strong stances to look out for his people, for his country and for his national interests.’
