Liberalism

Liberalism is a political and economic doctrine proclaiming the principle of political and economic freedom of individuals and opposes collectivism, socialism, statism and, in general, all political ideas that put the interests of society, the state or the nation before the individual. Individual and freedoms constitutes the core of the entire liberal doctrine.

In a strict sense, liberalism, called classic is a philosophical current born in the seventeenth century Europe and eighteenth century, which starts from the idea that every human being has, by birth, natural rights that no power can not impede namely: the right to life, liberty and property. As a result, the Liberals want to limit the powers of the state and other forms of power, whatever their form and mode of expression.

In a broad sense, liberalism glorify build a society characterized by freedom of thinking individuals, the rule of natural justice, the free exchange of ideas, market economy based on private initiative and a transparent system of government in which the rights of minorities are guaranteed. There are several schools of thought which distinguishes liberal in a more precise way by their philosophical foundations, the limits assigned by the state and on which they apply the principle of freedom.

Political liberalism is the doctrine aimed at reducing the power of the state to protect individual rights and liberties, opposing the idea of welfare state . Economic liberalism is the doctrine which proclaims the free market competition, non-intervention in the economy and its fundamental principle of individual property.

Basic Concepts

Fundamental liberal values ​​of individual freedom, individual creativity, responsibility and personal independence, respect individual rights, equality before the law. Liberalism is defined by four basic concepts:

- Individual freedom

- Private property - responsibility individuala- equality before the law

1. Individual freedom is defined as the right to act without any constraint imposed from outside, provided they do not affect the rights and freedoms of other individuals legitimate.

2. The property right of the individual to dispose of the results of its activities, the goods belong to them. The property includes the right to life and to dispose of his body. Individual's right to security and resistance to oppression derived from them.

3. The principle of individual responsibility proclaim one individual as responsible for his own actions.

4. Equality before the law derives from the principle of individual responsibility: individual responsible for your own actions, regardless of wealth, sex, nationality, profession or other individual or social characteristics.

Liberalism is currently on the European scene largely because of the British and German Liberals. In the rest of Europe liberal parties are far from government and have few opportunities to get to power. In Germany, the Liberals, traditional partners governing Christian Democratic Union, entering the government missed because of a national unity coalition Conservative-Socialist.

In Britain, the Liberals have played an important political role before World War. After the Second World War, the influence of liberalism in Britain has been undermined by the Social Democrats momentum that took place Labour-Progressive Party voters. Currently, British Liberal Democrats occupy third place in Parliament in London, with 62 deputies, but is facing a crisis in management. Until earlier this year, the British Liberal Democrats were led by Charles Kennedy, who admitted in January 2006 that has serious alcohol problems and retired from the party leadership. Currently, British liberals seek a formula for political success under the leadership of interim Menzies Campbell.

Neither liberals in Germany not a strong party. Despite a long tradition, the German liberals always stood around a threshold of 10-15% - not having access to coalition government than under either with the Social Democrats or together with Christian Democrats. Following elections in September 2005, German Liberals won 9.8% of the electorate votes and 61 seats in the German parliament, the third party. But they failed to reach the government in coalition with the Christian Democrats because they preferred a national unity coalition with the social democrats. Liberals occupy the same place in three European Parliament, as, after the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats - now with 90 euro-deputies.

Liberal parties are united in Liberal International, based in London, founded in 1947. The liberal ideology is based on the existence of a free market and minimal state intervention in the economy - at least in theory.

Conservatives and Christian socialii

Currently mainstream European Parliament is the Christian Democrats, meeting European People's Party - where are the conservative party and the Christian-Social European countries. European People dominate the European Union legislature, with 264 Euro-deputies, imposing political will by means of the Liberal Democrats, who are in third place.

Christian Democracy is a specific political current West Europe, born in the nineteenth century papal encyclical Rerum Novarum after Pope Leo XIII, which the Vatican has recognized the suffering of the workers and initiated a political movement against socialist and syndicalist movements . Christian socialii is a branch of the Christian Democrats, the German state of Bavaria specify - in fact the only place where Christian social doctrine has continued success. In recent years European Christian Democrats have turned to a policy of economic liberalism, often requiring a smaller place Liberals influence of the state in the economy. Lately, in the direction of German Christian Socialists (Thomas Silberhorn, Markus Ferber) came harshest criticism of Romania's accession to the European Union.

The Christian Democrats are powerful parties in Spain and Portugal, but the last elections in these countries have ousted - confirming the general trend in European government that voters send another party than the one you vote in Union structures European.