The European Young Conservatives (EYC) is a grouping of youth wings of conservative and centre-right political parties in Europe.
As of 2014, the group has a membership of 25 political youth organisations from 22 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 European Conservatives and Reformists Party.
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.
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. The group gave training to newly established democratic political parties in Russia, Belarus, and Azerbaijan. It was refounded much later by Oliver Cooper.
The EYC generally holds three conference events per year, with the largest being the autumn Freedom Summit.
Freedom Summit Cambridge, United Kingdom – 2014 Cambridge, United Kingdom – 2015 Porto, Portugal – 2016 Warsaw, Poland – 2017
Summer Camp Stockholm, Sweden – 2014 Tbilisi, Georgia 2016 Prague, Czech Republic – 2017 Leptokarya, Greece – 2018 Leptokarya, Greece – 2019
Annual Congress Warsaw, Poland – 2012 Prague, Czech Republic – 2013 Istanbul, Turkey – 2014 Prague, Czech Republic – 2015 Brussels, Belgium – 2016 London, England – 2017 Warsaw, Poland – 2018 Amsterdam, Netherlands – 2019
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". Resulting from the dispute, the Finns Party Youth announced its withdrawal on 18 May 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."The Finns Party Youth leaves European Young Conservatives . 18 May 2017. On 12 June, 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.
Membership The EYC has twenty-five member organisations: Country Organisation Mother party European party Prosperous Armenia Youth Prosperous Armenia ACRE BPF Youth BPF Party ACRE Jong N-VA N-VA EFA YBWC – None Young Conservatives Civic Democratic Party ACRE Huxa People's Party ACRE Young Conservatives Conservative Party of Georgia ACRE Young Reformer Alliance for Progress and Renewal ACRE Young Independents Independence Party ACRE Conservatives and Reformists Conservatives and Reformists ACRE National Youth Brothers of Italy ACRE Youth for Freedom – None Likud Youth Likud ACRE (regional partner) For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK Youth Club For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK None Junge FBP Progressive Citizens' Party None Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania Youth Organisation Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania ACRE adrenalin, déi jonk adr Alternative Democratic Reform Party ACRE Jongerenorganisatie Forum voor Democratie Forum for Democracy None Progress Party's Youth Progress Party None Law and Justice Youth Forum Law and Justice ACRE People's Youth Democratic and Social Centre – People's Party EPP New Republic Youth New Republic ACRE Young Swedes SDU Sweden Democrats None Young SVP Swiss People's Party None Young Conservatives Conservative Party ACRE () Conservative Future Scotland Scottish Conservative Party ACRE Young Unionists Ulster Unionist Party ACRE
Associate members Country Organisation Mother party Young Liberals Liberal Party of Australia Young Conservatives Conservative Party of Canada New Zealand Young Nationals New Zealand National Party Young Republicans Republican Party United Youth for Macedonia United for Macedonia
Former members Country Organisation Mother party Blue Awakening Conservative People's Party of Estonia Finns Party Youth Finns Party AK Party Youth Justice and Development Party
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