National conservatism

National conservatism is a political term used primarily in Europe to describe a variant of conservatism which concentrates more on national interests than standard conservatism as well as upholding cultural and ethnic identity, while not being outspokenly nationalist or supporting a far-right approach. In Europe, national conservatives are usually eurosceptics.[1][2]

National conservative parties are "socially traditional",[1] i.e. they support traditional family and social stability.[3] According to the Austrian political scientist Sieglinde Rosenberger, "national conservatism praises the family as a home and a centre of identity, solidarity and emotion."[3] Many national conservatives are thus social conservatives, as well as in favour of limiting immigration and enacting law-and-order policies.[1]

National conservative parties in different countries do not necessarily share a common position on economic policy: Their views may range from support of a planned economy to a centrist mixed economy to a laissez-faire approach. In the first, more common, case, national conservatives can be distinguished from economic/fiscal conservatives,[4] for whom free market economic policies, deregulation and fiscal conservatism are the main priorities. Some commentators have indeed identified a growing gap between national and economic conservatism: "most parties of the Right [today] are run by economic conservatives who, in varying degrees, have marginalized social, cultural, and national conservatives."[4]

National conservatism is also related to traditionalist conservatism.

Most conservative parties in post-communist Central and Southeastern Europe since 1989 have been national conservative.[5]

National conservative parties in Europe

The following political parties have been characterised as national conservative, at least as one of their ideological influences.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/content.html
  2. ↑ Traynor, Ian, The EU's weary travellers The Guardian, April 4, 2006
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Rosenberger, Sieglinde, Europe is swinging towards the right - What are the effects on women?, University of Vienna, 2002. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 National Questions, National Review, Vol. 49, Issue 12, June 30, 1997, pp. 16-17
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 Bakke, Elisabeth (2010), "Central and East European party systems since 1989", Central and Southeast European Politics Since 1989 (Cambridge University Press): 79
  6. ↑ http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/albania.html
  7. ↑ http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/bulgaria.html
  8. ↑ http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/denmark.html
  9. ↑ http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/estonia.html
  10. ↑ http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/finland.html
  11. ↑ http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/france.html
  12. ↑ http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/germany.html
  13. ↑ http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/greece.html
  14. ↑ http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/hungary.html
  15. ↑ http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/italy.html
  16. ↑ http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/latvia.html
  17. ↑ http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/lithuania.html
  18. ↑ http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/luxembourg.html
  19. ↑ http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/poland.html
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/serbia.html
  21. ↑ http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/switzerland.html
  22. ↑ http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/unitedkingdom.html
  23. ↑ http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/nireland.html