Ten mayors from liberal U.S. cities have joined the Pact of Free Cities, an international network of municipalities working to defend democracy and counter authoritarianism. The American mayors participated in the group's annual meeting last week in Bratislava, Slovakia, joining counterparts from Budapest, Warsaw, Prague and other European cities.
The pact was founded in 2019 by the mayors of Bratislava, Budapest, Prague and Warsaw as a forum for progressive leaders to share strategies for navigating what they describe as hostile national governments. U.S. cities participating in the summit included Boston, Chicago, San Antonio and Cincinnati.
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said he joined the alliance due to concerns about the current administration's impact on democratic institutions. "I've joined the Pact of Free Cities because of the actions of the Trump administration that continue to not just have democratic institutions and democratic values backslide in our country, but also the destruction of long-standing relationships all over the world, but particularly with our European counterparts," Pureval said.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive mayors described the international cooperation as essential for sharing tactics on protecting local autonomy. Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony detailed how Hungarian voters recently defeated former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power, citing a turning point when the city took over an LGBTQ Pride parade that the national government attempted to ban.
"This was meant partly to intimidate people and partly to provoke a debate that would divert political discussion away from economic problems toward symbolic issues," Karácsony said. He explained that the city reframed the event around free speech and free assembly rights, leading tens of thousands to march in defiance of the government.
Lacey Beaty, mayor of Beaverton, Oregon, flew across nine time zones for the meeting. "It was unexpectedly collaborative and just really underlined that a lot of the issues we're facing here in the United States, other cities are facing, too," she said upon returning home. Beaty cited federal funding cuts targeting cities with progressive policies, including the Trump administration's attempt to cut funding to Beaverton over its DEI policy.
What the Right Is Saying
The White House criticized the mayors' participation through spokesperson Abigail Jackson, who called it a "TDS publicity stunt." She said: "If Democrat mayors spent half as much time prioritizing the safety and security of their own citizens instead of participating in TDS publicity stunts, their residents would be much better served."
CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp noted that conservative organizations have been building transatlantic ties with European populists for a decade. He pointed to Nigel Farage's success with Reform U.K., which outperformed the ruling Labour Party in recent local elections.
"In talking with Nigel, I realized that it was on a parallel path to the conversation of immigration in America," Schlapp said, describing how he learned from Farage's approach to discussions about immigration. CPAC has held five annual meetings in Budapest and built relationships with Orbán's political network.
Schlapp questioned whether European mayors would gain useful insights from U.S. counterparts given different challenges facing American cities, including violent crime and homelessness. However, he added that if U.S. mayors can apply lessons from Europe to build grassroots support domestically, "they're probably doing the right thing to try to organize."
What the Numbers Show
The Pact of Free Cities now includes more than 40 municipalities across Europe and North America working on shared policy challenges. Orbán served as Hungary's prime minister for 16 consecutive years before his electoral defeat last month. The Pride parade in Budapest that Karácsony described drew tens of thousands of participants after the city government took control of the event from national authorities.
U.S. cities participating in the alliance represent populations ranging from Cincinnati's roughly 310,000 residents to Chicago's 2.7 million. Federal funding disputes have targeted multiple Democratic-led cities over policies including sanctuary city protections and diversity initiatives.
The Bottom Line
The Pact of Free Cities represents a coordinated effort by progressive mayors to build international alliances as they navigate tensions with national governments on both sides of the Atlantic. The network provides a framework for sharing strategies on issues including federal funding disputes, LGBTQ rights and democratic institutions. Conservatives have pursued similar transatlantic relationships through organizations like CPAC for years. Both approaches reflect growing ideological polarization in international politics, with local officials increasingly looking abroad for allies who share their policy priorities.