History and Aims

• History
• Fundamentals
  
  
• The Paneuropean Movement is a supranational organisation whose goal is the unity
  of Europe. Although the Paneuropean Movement is independent of all political
  parties, it holds clear and well-defined principles by which it appraises
  politicians, parties and institutions.
  The Paneuropean Movement has branches in most European countries and plays an
  active role for Europe´s unity.
  

THE HISTORY

• In 1923 Count Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi wrote his prophetic document
  Paneuropa, in which he presented an alternative to the pessimistic view of
  civilisation: a united Europe.The best men of his time followed him. Aristide
  Briand was among his closest collaborators. But National Socialist barbarism
  smashed these hopeful beginnings. Coudenhove fled from Hitler´s dictatorship.
  Later, Otto von Habsburg joined the movement and was soon to become one of the
  leading representatives of the Paneuropean idea.
  Coudenhove warned the Western governments of Soviet plans for conquest in vain;
  during the Yalta conference in 1945, Central and Eastern Europe was delivered to
  Communist dictatorship.Nevertheless, after World War Two, the ideas of the
  Paneuropean Movement were successful in the Western world: the Council of
  Europe, the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic
  Community represented great steps forward to unification.
  After Coudenhove´s death in 1973 these achievements seemed endangered. Europe
  was split, unification stagnated and Communism gained ground while the West
  dreamt of détente. It was then that the newly elected president, Otto von
  Habsburg, decided to turn the Paneuropean Union into a broad, popular movement.
  Intensive basic activities were started within all European countries. More and
  more people found their way to the Paneuropean Movement to fight for a free and
  united Paneurope. From the time of the first direct election to the European
  Parliament in 1979, the Paneuropean Movement has been an effective link between
  Europeans and their Parliament in Strasbourg. Paneuropean programmes became
  pioneers of actual European policy. Awareness that Europe did not end at the
  Yalta-Line became general.
  The Paneuropean picnic at the Austrian-Hungarian border on August 19, 1989, tore
  the first hole in the Iron Curtain, and heralded the end of Europe´s partition.
  Today the idea of o free, complete and united Europe is approaching realisation.
  If we bend all our energies to achieving this, it is possible that the new
  century will bring a prolonged era of peace, liberty, security and prosperity
  such as Europe has never known.
  

PANEUROPA IS:

• Libertarian
  The heart of every policy is the individual. Therefore its aim must be to
  encourage and help people to greater freedom and responsibility. With this go
  the attainment of human and civil rights and the right of all peoples to
  self-determination. That presupposes both a free market economy and a state of
  law and order constitutionally guaranteed. Only a strong and united Europe can
  maintain lasting liberty and meet the challenge of the third millennium.
  Paneurope has always resolutely opposed every form of collectivism, totalitarism
  or bureaucratic intervention which threatens personal initiative and human
  creativity.
  
• Christian 
  Christianity is the soul of Europe, the foundation of its cultural, social and
  spiritual development. We therefore stand for the Christian view of humanity:
  that man´s dignity is derived from God and he thus has rights which none can
  either give him or take from him. Neither socialism nor nationalism nor a
  shallow, atheistic humanism must be Europe´s last message to the world. Only by
  remembering its Christian roots Europe can regain faith in itself and win its
  due position as an exemplary peaceful and moral power in the world. Paneurope
  rejects all nihilistic and antireligious tendencies that may threaten Europe.
  
• Social
  It is a fundamental duty of all responsible politicians to preserve justice and
  the dignity of man. In accordance with Christian social doctrine, a united
  Europe must resist discrimination and ensure the protection of all minorities.
  This applies to the old, the young and the sick as well as to ethnic, religious
  and social minorities. A social economy must ensure humane living conditions for
  all.
  For Paneurope the protection of the environment is the protection of people. We
  must honour the past and care for the future. We can not go forward responsibly
  without valuing fully our history, traditions, religion, language and education.
  
• European
  The European Community has not only ended war between its peoples. It has also
  created a unique order of peace and justice. Yet this is only the starting point
  for the greater Europe of tomorrow, to which the newly-liberated peoples of
  Central and East ern Europe will also belong.
  We want a Europe of nations and ethnic groups, of states and regions, in which
  the right to "homelands" is guaranteed to all Europeans. In that sense the
  Paneuropean Movement stands for European patriotism - for the new state concept
  of the 21st century - for Europe as a great cultural unit. Greek wisdom, Roman
  legal thought and Christian faith are its common heritage.
  A political union of its people in a continental state is the Paneuropean
  Union´s plan for the future. Within this union, Paneurope believes in the
  maintenance of regional independence and the preservation of a diversified
  cultural heritage.
  
  

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