European Young Conservatives

The European Young Conservatives (EYC) is a grouping of youth wings of conservative and centre-right political parties in Europe.

European Young Conservatives
Chairman Jakub Sivák
Deputy Chairman Alexander Redpath
Vice-Chairman Gabriel Kroon
Megan Gallacher
Viktor Rooseleer
Raz Granot
Christopher Smyth
Alexios Karamanolas
Nathaniel Organ
Frederik Jansen
Secretary General Michał Szpądrowski
Treasurer Mo Metcalf Fisher
FoundedAugust 1993
Split fromDemocrat Youth Community of Europe
HeadquartersMargaret Thatcher House, 85 Western Road, Romford, London, RM1 3LS
United Kingdom
IdeologyConservatism
Euroscepticism
International affiliationInternational Young Democrat Union
Websitewww.eyconservatives.org

As of 2014, the group has a membership of 25 political youth organisations from 22 different countries and territories, in addition to four associated members. The EYC is independent and not affiliated with any European political party, but maintains a non-exclusive relationship with the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe (formerly known as the European Conservatives and Reformists).

The EYC is a full member of the International Young Democrat Union.

History

The EYC was founded in August 1993 by the youth wings of the British Conservative Party, Danish Conservative People's Party, and Icelandic Independence Party, under the leadership of Andrew Rosindell, then-chairman of the UK's Young Conservatives.[1]

It emerged from a split in the centre-right Democrat Youth Community of Europe (DEMYC), which separated into two factions: the larger part, following a broadly Christian democratic philosophy; and the smaller part, led by Rosindell, following a broadly conservative philosophy. Two crucial points of disagreement were the scope of economic liberalisation and the desirability of a federal Europe.

From 1993 to 1997, the group was led by Rosindell.[2] The group gave training to newly established democratic political parties in Russia, Belarus, and Azerbaijan.[3] It was refounded much later by Oliver Cooper.[4]

The EYC generally holds three conference events per year, with the largest being the autumn Freedom Summit.

Freedom Summit

Summer Camp

Annual Congress

Since 2016, an internal conflict between civic and ethnic nationalists has emerged within the EYC. The ethnic nationalists were opposed to the membership of Turkish and Israeli parties and claimed the EYC has "replaced anti-immigration politics with free market capitalism".[5] Resulting from the dispute, the Finns Party Youth announced its withdrawal on May 18, 2017, with its leader Samuli Voutila saying: "We cannot be members in the same organization as the new Turkish sultan’s youth wing, when it acts against European values."[6] On June 12, the Estonian movement Blue Awakening sent a letter to the EYC demanding the expulsion of the Turkish AK Party Youth within seven days. The letter was later published on Richard B. Spencer's website Altright.com.[5][7]

Membership

The EYC has twenty-five member organisations:[8]

Country Organisation Mother party European party
 Armenia Prosperous Armenia Youth Prosperous Armenia ACRE
 Belarus BPF Youth BPF Party ACRE
 Belgium Jong N-VA N-VA EFA
 Bulgaria YBWC - None
 Czech Republic Young Conservatives Civic Democratic Party ACRE
 Faroe Islands Huxa People's Party ACRE
 Georgia Young Conservatives Conservative Party of Georgia ACRE
 Germany Young Reformer Alliance for Progress and Renewal ACRE
 Iceland Young Independents Independence Party ACRE
 Italy Conservatives and Reformists Conservatives and Reformists ACRE
 Italy National Youth Brothers of Italy ACRE
 Italy Youth for Freedom - None
 Israel Likud Youth Likud ACRE (regional partner)
 Latvia For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK Youth Club For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK None
 Liechtenstein Junge FBP Progressive Citizens' Party None
 Lithuania Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania Youth Organisation Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania ACRE
 Luxembourg adrenalin, déi jonk adr Alternative Democratic Reform Party ACRE
 The Netherlands Youth Forum for Democracy Forum for Democracy None
 Norway Progress Party's Youth Progress Party None
 Poland Law and Justice Youth Forum Law and Justice ACRE
 Portugal People's Youth Democratic and Social Centre – People's Party EPP
 Romania New Republic Youth New Republic ACRE
 Sweden Young Swedes SDU Sweden Democrats None
  Switzerland Young SVP Swiss People's Party None
 United Kingdom Young Conservatives Conservative Party ACRE
 United Kingdom ( Scotland) Conservative Future Scotland Scottish Conservative Party ACRE
 United Kingdom Young Unionists Ulster Unionist Party ACRE

Associate members
Country Organisation Mother party
 Australia Young Liberals Liberal Party of Australia
 Canada Young Conservatives Conservative Party of Canada
 New Zealand New Zealand Young Nationals New Zealand National Party
 United States Young Republicans Republican Party

Former members
Country Organisation Mother party
 Estonia Blue Awakening Conservative People's Party of Estonia
 Finland Finns Party Youth Finns Party
 Turkey AK Party Youth Justice and Development Party

Footnotes
  1. Mercer, Paul (1994). Directory of British Political Organisations. London: Longman. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-582-23729-2.
  2. "Andrew Rosindell". Parliament. Archived from the original on 9 June 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  3. "After the Campaign Rush". BBC News. 7 June 2001.
  4. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/5G55g9B9fk7R8f7Gdwn4srv/oliver-cooper
  5. Lyons, Charles (12 June 2017). "Estonian Blue Awakening Gives European Young Conservatives 7 Days To Stop Their Cuckish Ways". AltRight.com. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  6. The Finns Party Youth leaves European Young Conservatives. 18.05.2017.
  7. "EKRE's youth organization thrown out of European Young Conservatives". 19 June 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  8. "Members". European Young Conservatives. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
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