“I’m in contact with Matthew Schlapp and his team. We have a group of very capable organizers here in Poland, so there’s a good chance that CPAC Poland will take place as early as May,” said Mateusz Morawiecki. When asked for a more specific date, he responded that it would be before the second round of the presidential election.
A Conference Rivalry
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is the largest gathering of conservative communities, held regularly in the United States since 1973. Since 2022, the conference has also been organized in Hungary. This year, it’s set to take place in Poland—news announced by CPAC Chairman Matthew Schlapp in March during the “Gazeta Polska” Person of the Year Gala.
For now, it’s unclear who exactly will attend the Polish edition of the event or whether it might coincide with a visit to Poland by former U.S. President Donald Trump. In mid-April, Marcin Mastalerek, head of the President’s Office, indicated that discussions about Trump’s visit are ongoing and that it would likely happen after May 15.
Unofficial conversations between PAP and right-wing politicians suggest that CPAC is seen as a counterbalance to the Impact CEE conference, which will be held just before the first round of the presidential election—on May 14–15 in Poznań—and will feature former U.S. President Barack Obama. The first event is expected to politically boost PiS-backed candidate Karol Nawrocki, while the second is seen as favoring KO candidate Rafał Trzaskowski.
The presidential election is scheduled for May 18, with a potential runoff set for June 1.