A New European miracle

Do conservatives and libertarians have a European dream?

A self-evident yes is the answer, and let it never be said that we are any less idealistic than our socialist friends in laying-out our vision of what should be, even given our fundamental differences.

What should be stressed at the outset, of course, is that our European dream is not one rooted in the grandiose designs of the central planners but rather in the traditions of individual freedom, private property and the rule of law.

Our vision is radical, but not new – taking its inspiration (at least in this author’s case) from the liberal institutions of the late middle ages which produced the so-called “European miracle” and the rise of the West.

What was the “European miracle” and why was it important?

The phrase has come to describe Europe’s complete domination of world trade and politics from the late middle ages until the early twentieth century. Starting with the first European contacts around the world and subsequent colonisations, the process was further reinforced by the industrial revolution.

Needless to say,Europe’s unrivalled success over this long historical time-frame was not due to the Europeans being a special kind of people. Rather, scholars point to the radically decentralised political structure which emerged following the fall of the Roman empire, allowing for a bold new culture of economic and intellectual freedom to take shape, with myriad principalities and city-states competing with each another for merchants and working-folk alike. This competitive environment, combined with the willingness of political authorities to constrain themselves, led to an unparalleled era of human progress in economics, science and the arts, as embodied by such leading lights as the greatDutchRepublicof 1581 to 1795. By striking contrast, the progress of the peoples ofChinaandIndiawere restricted by the dominance of large bureaucratic machines that held far less regard for individual rights, private property and the rule of law.

What lessons do we take from “European miracle” for today?

Whilst the phrase describes a process taking place over hundreds of years in diverse geographical pockets, rather than a singular monolithic event, it is an enormously inspiring era with important contemporary lessons. Decentralised power structures tend towards innovation and experimentation which result in greater freedom and prosperity through competition for peoples and resources. Centralised structures, by inversion, inhibit these naturally progressive forces at best and are totally destructive at worst.

Given the historical record, it should become abundantly clear where the present focus of the libertarian conservative movement should lie. For whether we agree or disagree on issues such as an independentScotland, our first priority should be making the case for theUK’s immediate withdrawal from the EU, so as to re-gain basic freedoms such as negotiating our own national trade policy and domestic working practices. How the UK would benefit were the Government to follow the lead of organisations such as the TFA and finally recognise the true solution to our present European predicament. And in becoming anotherSwitzerland, what a precedent would be set for other EU nations, clearing the way for the rediscovery of the universal principles which built our great continent all those centuries ago.

 By Sam Swann

Sam is a libertarian blogger. He is training to become a Solicitor in the City of London and aspires to pursue a career in constitutional law.

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