Nova Civitas
Encyclopedia
Nova Civitas was a Flemish
think tank
based on the principle
s of classic liberalism
in combination with Anglo-Saxon
conservatism
. Nova Civitas claimed at its founding to be completely independent, although it was recognized and supported by the Flemish Liberal Party (VLD). The Founding Chairman of Nova Civitas, Boudewijn Bouckaert
, was a long-time board member of the VLD.
According to their website, the basic principles of Nova Civitas were :
Nova Civitas was founded in 1992 in the tradition of the Belgian 1980s Ludwig Von Mises Institute
as a new political club
to support the rebirth of a strong liberal movement in Belgium
dominated by the VLD in Flanders and the Liberal Reformist Party
in Wallonia. Nova Civitas was headquartered in Ghent
. In 2004, a new regional committee was created in Antwerp, followed in 2006 by one in Brussels
.
Nova Civitas opposed the "socialist welfare state" and advocated further transfers of competences from the federal to the regional levels. Nova Civitas also proposed a regrouping of political forces into what would have become a de facto two-party system, with a big centre-right/right-wing political party alliance in Flanders, including VLD, Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams, New Flemish Alliance and Vlaams Belang
. At the time, this stirred controversy and several Nova Civitas members were rebuked by the VLD. Senator
s Hugo Coveliers
and Jean-Marie Dedecker
were even forced to leave the party in the ensuing turmoil.
In 2007, Nova Civitas member Jean-Marie Dedecker started his own political party, the eponymous List Dedecker (now: Libertarian, Direct, Democratic) and established a new think tank, Cassandra
, to serve as the ideological laboratory for his party.
In 2009, both Cassandra and Nova Civitas fell victim of internal disputes, and decided to disband themselves. A new classical liberal think tank was founded by the remnants: LIBERA!
.
From 2003 to 2009, Nova Civitas also granted an annual award, the Prize for Liberty or Liberty Award.
From 2010 on, LIBERA! has been awarding the prize; the most recent recipients being former Dutch EU Commissioner Frits Bolkestein
(2010) and British
conservative author Theodore Dalrymple (2011).
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
based on the principle
Principle
A principle is a law or rule that has to be, or usually is to be followed, or can be desirably followed, or is an inevitable consequence of something, such as the laws observed in nature or the way that a system is constructed...
s of classic liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
in combination with Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
conservatism
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
. Nova Civitas claimed at its founding to be completely independent, although it was recognized and supported by the Flemish Liberal Party (VLD). The Founding Chairman of Nova Civitas, Boudewijn Bouckaert
Boudewijn Bouckaert
Boudewijn Bouckaert is a Belgian law professor, a member of the Flemish Movement, and a libertarian conservative thinker and politician. He chairs the academic board of the LIB-ERA! think tank and serves as Member of the Flemish Parliament for the liberal party List Dedecker...
, was a long-time board member of the VLD.
According to their website, the basic principles of Nova Civitas were :
Nova Civitas was founded in 1992 in the tradition of the Belgian 1980s Ludwig Von Mises Institute
Ludwig von Mises Institute
The Ludwig von Mises Institute , based in Auburn, Alabama, is a libertarian academic organization engaged in research and scholarship in the fields of economics, philosophy and political economy. Its scholarship is inspired by the work of Austrian School economist Ludwig von Mises...
as a new political club
Club
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
to support the rebirth of a strong liberal movement in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
dominated by the VLD in Flanders and the Liberal Reformist Party
Liberal Reformist Party
The Parti Réformateur Libéral was a Belgian liberal party active in Wallonia and Brussels. It grew out of the unitiarian PVV-PLP and has since become part of the Mouvement Réformateur.-PVV-PLP:* Omer Vanaudenhove 1961 - 1968...
in Wallonia. Nova Civitas was headquartered in Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
. In 2004, a new regional committee was created in Antwerp, followed in 2006 by one in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
.
Nova Civitas opposed the "socialist welfare state" and advocated further transfers of competences from the federal to the regional levels. Nova Civitas also proposed a regrouping of political forces into what would have become a de facto two-party system, with a big centre-right/right-wing political party alliance in Flanders, including VLD, Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams, New Flemish Alliance and Vlaams Belang
Vlaams Belang
Vlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language...
. At the time, this stirred controversy and several Nova Civitas members were rebuked by the VLD. Senator
Belgian Senate
The Belgian Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Chamber of Representatives. It is considered to be the "upper house" of the Federal Parliament.-History and future:...
s Hugo Coveliers
Hugo Coveliers
Hugo F.V. Coveliers is a Belgian politician and lawyer. He was a member of the Belgian Chamber of People's Representatives between 1985 and 1995 and from 1993 to 2003. Since 2003 he has been a member of the Belgian Senate...
and Jean-Marie Dedecker
Jean-Marie Dedecker
Jean-Marie Louis Dedecker is a Belgian Flemish politician.In 1999 and 2003, Dedecker was directly elected to the Belgian Senate. In 2004 Dedecker ran for a seat in the Flemish Parliament, after taking his seat in the Flemish Parliament, Dedecker was elected by his colleagues as a community senator...
were even forced to leave the party in the ensuing turmoil.
In 2007, Nova Civitas member Jean-Marie Dedecker started his own political party, the eponymous List Dedecker (now: Libertarian, Direct, Democratic) and established a new think tank, Cassandra
Cassandra
In Greek mythology, Cassandra was the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. Her beauty caused Apollo to grant her the gift of prophecy...
, to serve as the ideological laboratory for his party.
In 2009, both Cassandra and Nova Civitas fell victim of internal disputes, and decided to disband themselves. A new classical liberal think tank was founded by the remnants: LIBERA!
Libera!
Libera! is a Spanish non profit animal rights organization. To create sensitivity, they especially make education campaigns and of public awareness, complaints and other protest actions. Libera! was founded in 2004 in Barcelona...
.
From 2003 to 2009, Nova Civitas also granted an annual award, the Prize for Liberty or Liberty Award.
- 2003: Luuk van MiddelaarLuuk van MiddelaarLuuk Johannes van Middelaar is a Dutch historian and political philosopher who was a member of the Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie , which is the biggest conservative-liberal formation in the Netherlands...
(a DutchNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
historianHistorianA historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and philosopher) - 2004: Ayaan Hirsi AliAyaan Hirsi AliAyaan Hirsi Magan Ali is a Somali-Dutch feminist and atheist activist, writer, politician who strongly opposes circumcision and female genital cutting. She is the daughter of the Somali politician and opposition leader Hirsi Magan Isse and is a founder of the women's rights organisation the AHA...
(from 2003-2006 a member of the Parliament of the Netherlands, defending religious freedom) - 2005: Matthias StormeMatthias StormeMatthias Edward Storme is a Belgian lawyer, academic and conservative philosopher.- Family life :Storme was born and raised in a Catholic family in the Belgian city of Ghent. His father Marcel Storme Matthias Edward Storme (born Ghent, 1959) is a Belgian lawyer, academic and conservative...
(a FlemishFlemish peopleThe Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
professor at the University of Leuven) - 2006: Alain DestexheAlain DestexheAlain Destexhe is a Belgian liberal politician. He was elected senator for the Francophone electoral college in 2003, and again in 2007. Destexhe is a member of the liberal Reformist Movement and represents Belgium in the World Economic Forum. He was awarded the Prize of Liberty by Nova Civitas...
(a Belgian French-speaking senatorBelgian SenateThe Belgian Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Chamber of Representatives. It is considered to be the "upper house" of the Federal Parliament.-History and future:...
) - 2007: Derk-Jan Eppink (a Dutch columnistColumnistA columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
and journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
) - 2008: Urbain Servranckx (Urbanus, a Belgian independent-minded comedianComedianA comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
) - 2009: Mark Grammens (a Belgian independent journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
)
From 2010 on, LIBERA! has been awarding the prize; the most recent recipients being former Dutch EU Commissioner Frits Bolkestein
Frits Bolkestein
Frederik "Frits" Bolkestein is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from 16 January 1978, until 5 November 1982, when he became State Secretary for Economic Affairs from 5 November 1982, until 14 July...
(2010) and British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
conservative author Theodore Dalrymple (2011).
External links
- http://www.novacivitas.net Website of Nova Civitas
- http://www.lib-era.be Website of LIBERA!