Conservative Europeanism: A Forgotten Tradition

In contrast to today’s political narrative, which casts conservatism and Europeanism as opposing forces, this paper argues that the two traditions were historically intertwined. From Edmund Burke’s ‘Commonwealth of Europe’ to Metternich’s Concert of Europe and Christian Democracy’s supranational ideals, conservatives were central to the vision and construction of a united Europe. Far from defending nationalism, as today’s national conservatives do, traditional conservatives opposed its revolutionary and homogenising impulses, emphasising Europe’s inherited institutions and shared civilisational values. The post-war integration project, from the Paneuropean Union to the European Convention on Human Rights and the influence of the Christian Democratic founding fathers, was heavily shaped by conservative ideals. However, recent decades have seen conservatism drift towards nationalism and the EU towards progressive technocracy, creating a damaging rift. Reuniting the two is not only historically coherent—it is politically urgent. A renewed conservative Europeanism could offer a third path: one that is rooted, forward-looking and civilisational. Defending European unity today, this publication argues, is not a betrayal of conservatism—but its fulfilment.

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