Liberal U.S. mayors team up with European counterparts to fight authoritarianism

Lacey Beaty, mayor of Beaverton, Ore., represented one of the U.S. cities that recently joined the Pact of Free Cities for its recent meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia. In the background (from left to right) are Omar Al-Rawi, member of the Vienna City Council; Audrey Pulvar, deputy mayor of Paris; Gergely Karácsony, mayor of Budapest; and Rafał Trzaskowski, mayor of Warsaw. Courtesy of the city of Bratislava/Courtesy of the city of Bratislava hide caption toggle caption Courtesy of the city of Bratislava/Courtesy of the city of Bratislava Right-wing populists in the U.S. have been building political ties across the Atlantic Ocean for years to support and learn from one another. Think President Trump, who developed a close relationship with former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Now, 10 U.S. mayors from liberal cities are following suit, joining a group called the Pact of Free Cities , where they can share strategies with their European counterparts on how to defend democracy and fight authoritarianism. The American cities, including Boston, Chicago, San Antonio and Cincinnati, joined the pact virtually or in person last week for its annual meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia. …