International Paneuropean Union

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Paneuropean movement flag. In recent years, the "EU stars" have been added around the classic cross and circle.

The International Paneuropean Union claims to be the oldest European unification movement and is also referred to as the Paneuropean Movement and the Pan-Europa Movement. It began with the publishing of Count Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi's manifesto Paneuropa (1923), which presented the idea of a unified European State.

The stated goal of the organisation is the unity of a Christian Europe, free of "nihilism, atheism and immoral consumerism".^[1] It is independent of all political parties, but has set principles by which it appraises politicians, parties and institutions. The International Paneuropean Union has four main basic principles: libertarianism, Christianity, social responsibility and pro-Europeanism.

Some famous members were Thomas Mann, Franz Werfel, Salvador de Madariaga, Charles de Gaulle, Aristide Briand, Konrad Adenauer, Franz Josef Strauß, Bruno Kreisky and Georges Pompidou ^[2]. It was prohibited by Nazi Germany in 1933, and was founded again after the Second World War.

Otto von Habsburg, the current head of the Habsburg dynasty, became the International Honorary President of the International Paneuropean Union after Coudenhove's death in 1973. The last President of the Union - since 2004 - is Alain Terrenoire, Director of the French Paneuropa-Union.

The Union has branches in many European countries, with the General Secretariat located in Munich.