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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - The right and religion in European Union politics: from 'confessionalism’ to ‘conservatism’
AU - Steven, Martin
PY - 2023/12/14
Y1 - 2023/12/14
N2 - The intimate relationship between religion and parties of the right in European politics has been well documented in political science, encompassing both the long-standing partnership between the church and Christian Democrats as well as the more recent adoption of Christian identity and symbolism by radical ‘right-wing’ parties. Yet in this contribution, it will be argued that in the 2019–2024 session of the European Parliament (EP), it is a third right-of-centre group that has now emerged as the clearest proponents of the role of Christianity in the modern-day European Union (EU). The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), led by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from Poland’s Law and Justice Party (PiS), regularly and consistently advance the case for ‘freedom of religion’ and the positive role of churches as institutions in public affairs. While Christian Democrats have become secular, ‘catch-all’ peoples’ parties, and ‘far-right’ politicians are criticised for exploiting tensions over multiculturalism, it is the European conservatives, with their ‘Euro-realist’ agenda, who now represent the most novel and intriguing aspect to the interface between religion and the right in EU party politics.
AB - The intimate relationship between religion and parties of the right in European politics has been well documented in political science, encompassing both the long-standing partnership between the church and Christian Democrats as well as the more recent adoption of Christian identity and symbolism by radical ‘right-wing’ parties. Yet in this contribution, it will be argued that in the 2019–2024 session of the European Parliament (EP), it is a third right-of-centre group that has now emerged as the clearest proponents of the role of Christianity in the modern-day European Union (EU). The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), led by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from Poland’s Law and Justice Party (PiS), regularly and consistently advance the case for ‘freedom of religion’ and the positive role of churches as institutions in public affairs. While Christian Democrats have become secular, ‘catch-all’ peoples’ parties, and ‘far-right’ politicians are criticised for exploiting tensions over multiculturalism, it is the European conservatives, with their ‘Euro-realist’ agenda, who now represent the most novel and intriguing aspect to the interface between religion and the right in EU party politics.
U2 - 10.1080/09637494.2023.2284690
DO - 10.1080/09637494.2023.2284690
M3 - Journal article
VL - 51
SP - 331
EP - 344
JO - Religion, State and Society
JF - Religion, State and Society
SN - 0963-7494
IS - 4-5
ER -