Family, Nation, God

Trump and Orbán are actively challenging the contemporary international order. More eminently, they have developed a comprehensive framework based on Christian conservative values, providing an alternative to the liberal international order (LIO). The Christian Conservative Order (CCO) they propose is the result of a Narrative Alliance between Trump and Orbán. This thesis exposes and charts this Narrative Alliance by analyzing speeches, press conferences, and interviews by Trump and Orbán through critical discourse analysis. The main argument is twofold. Firstly, in the immigration discourse expressed by both leaders from 2016 onwards, they frequently mention each other to legitimize their immigration policies. Secondly, due to various geopolitical developments post-2020, the anti-immigration coalition between Trump and Orbán has expanded to a Narrative Alliance built around the central principles of Family, Nation, and God. This equips both leaders with a shared vision of a global international order alternative to the LIO. By sharing a common vision they decide what is deemed as appropriate (state) behavior, and which morals and values are the most important. This thesis further contends that Trump and Orbán's CCO appeals particularly to illiberal states and rising global powers like China, India, and Brazil. While the Trump-Orbán Alliance may not yet replace the LIO outright, it significantly threatens to destabilize its foundations and influence the trajectory of future global governance.