The success and scale of the CPAC Poland conference held near Rzeszów in Jasionka continue to irritate the current ruling camp. A member of this camp, Krzysztof Kłak, a regional councilor from the Civic Coalition (KO), has filed a criminal complaint against the Podkarpackie voivodeship’s management, involved in organizing the event. “Paranoia in Civic Platform is more contagious than the flu,” commented Tomasz Sakiewicz, editor-in-chief of TV Republika, a co-organizer of CPAC Poland. Interestingly, the event also raised eyebrows across Poland’s western border.
On May 27, 2025, Jasionka near Rzeszów hosted Poland’s first Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), organized in cooperation with TV Republika and attended by notable guests from Poland, the United States, and other European countries. The event’s special guest was U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, with speeches also delivered by President Andrzej Duda and Karol Nawrocki, who at the time was a presidential candidate.
“Today, the conservative movement globally faces serious threats. International organizations finance campaigns in Poland to facilitate liberal-left governments taking power, undermining the core values we defend. Conservatives in Poland, the USA, and globally must unite, build international platforms, and communicate directly to protect our nations’ sovereignty from globalist elites, Soros, and international leftist alliances,” stated Michał Rachoń, program director of TV Republika, during CPAC.
Success Provokes Anger
The event’s scale and success provoked sharp criticism from the current ruling camp, which accused it of illegal campaign financing. Councilor Krzysztof Kłak filed a complaint against the voivodeship’s authorities, led by Marshal Władysław Ortyl, alleging misuse of approximately PLN 1.2 million earmarked for regional promotion.
The Marshal’s Office responded, emphasizing the regional promotional value, notably through a dedicated session on Polish-American relations and entrepreneurial development.
“Paranoia within Civic Platform is spreading faster than the flu,” Sakiewicz retorted, highlighting the absurdity of accusing prominent international guests, including Secretary Noem, CPAC chairman Matthew Schlapp, and others, of campaign interference. He argued the conference offered unprecedented global exposure for the region at minimal cost.
German Concerns
The event also drew criticism from Germany, with Tageszeitung describing CPAC as part of an “illiberal international network,” increasingly supported by conservative factions in the U.S.
Author Zusanna Vegh of TAZ expressed alarm, suggesting CPAC organizers aimed to influence EU politics, framing the Jasionka event as a strategic effort by far-right personalities to disrupt Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s coalition government and return PiS to power.
“The international right is mobilizing. Democratic forces cannot remain passive,” warned Vegh.
Polish MEP Michał Dworczyk responded, noting the discomfort among Donald Tusk’s German allies, pointing out how CPAC participants emphasized national sovereignty, criticized Brussels centralism, and promoted traditional Christian values—a stance the German press criticized and demanded be countered.