Edmund Burke Stichting
Encyclopedia
The Edmund Burke Foundation (Edmund Burke Stichting) is a conservative
group based in The Hague
, the Netherlands
. Named after the 18th century conservative philosopher Edmund Burke
, the Edmund Burke Foundation was founded in 2000 by a group of young conservatives, including professor Andreas Kinneging
and journalist Bart Jan Spruyt
, unsatisfied with the consensus of Dutch politics, the level of public debate and what they believe is the dangerous drift of philosophy and culture in the Netherlands.
From 2000 to 2005, the Foundation was active as both a think-tank and an educational group. In that time, the foundation took positions that are both fiscally and socially conservative. It organized an annual summer school for undergraduate students, conferences, seminars and lectures on topics such as the multicultural society, education, health care, foreign policy and defense. Conservatives associated with the Foundation were, for example, in favor of health care privatization and tax cuts. The Foundation has links with conservative thinktanks in the US, such as the Heritage Foundation
and the American Enterprise Institute
. Speakers at the foundation's events included Roger Scruton
, the Burke scholar Peter Stanlis, Dutch writer Leon de Winter
, Islam-expert Reuel Marc Gerecht
, Frits Bolkestein
and Onno Ruding
, former finance minister of The Netherlands.
In the summer of 2005, the Board of the Foundation decided to focus its activities more exclusively on its educational, cultural and philosophical programs, taking the Intercollegiate Studies Institute
explicitly as a role model. Consequently, Bart Jan Spruyt
stepped back as full-time managing director of the think-tank to join the political party of Geert Wilders
, but remained a member of the governing Board of the Foundation. Several former employees then spun off the think-tank activities into a new group called the European Independent Institute
.
, wasteful government spending and conservative philosophy and thought. Members of the Burke Foundation published articles and op-eds in numerous newspapers, and many newspapers devoted substantial attention to the activities of the Foundation. Those newspapers include De Telegraaf
, de Volkskrant
, NRC Handelsblad
, het Parool
, Trouw, het Nederlands Dagblad
, and weekly magazines such as HP/De Tijd, Elsevier, De Groene Amsterdammer. Members of the Burke Foundation also appeared regularly on TV and Radio programs, including NOVA, Den Haag Vandaag, 2 Vandaag, and the Radio 1 News program.
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...
group based in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The 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...
. Named after the 18th century conservative philosopher Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke PC was an Irish statesman, author, orator, political theorist and philosopher who, after moving to England, served for many years in the House of Commons of Great Britain as a member of the Whig party....
, the Edmund Burke Foundation was founded in 2000 by a group of young conservatives, including professor Andreas Kinneging
Andreas Kinneging
Andreas A.M. Kinneging is professor of legal philosophy at the University of Leiden, and a prominent conservative philosopher in The Netherlands.-Background:...
and journalist Bart Jan Spruyt
Bart Jan Spruyt
Dr. Bastian Jan Spruyt is a Dutch historian, journalist and conservative writer.-Academic background:...
, unsatisfied with the consensus of Dutch politics, the level of public debate and what they believe is the dangerous drift of philosophy and culture in the Netherlands.
From 2000 to 2005, the Foundation was active as both a think-tank and an educational group. In that time, the foundation took positions that are both fiscally and socially conservative. It organized an annual summer school for undergraduate students, conferences, seminars and lectures on topics such as the multicultural society, education, health care, foreign policy and defense. Conservatives associated with the Foundation were, for example, in favor of health care privatization and tax cuts. The Foundation has links with conservative thinktanks in the US, such as the Heritage Foundation
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...
and the American Enterprise Institute
American Enterprise Institute
The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a conservative think tank founded in 1943. Its stated mission is "to defend the principles and improve the institutions of American freedom and democratic capitalism—limited government, private enterprise, individual liberty and...
. Speakers at the foundation's events included Roger Scruton
Roger Scruton
Roger Vernon Scruton is a conservative English philosopher and writer. He is the author of over 30 books, including Art and Imagination , Sexual Desire , The Aesthetics of Music , and A Political Philosophy: Arguments For Conservatism...
, the Burke scholar Peter Stanlis, Dutch writer Leon de Winter
Leon de Winter
- Early life :Leon de Winter was born on 24 February 1954 in Den Bosch, in the southern Netherlands. He grew up in an orthodox Jewish family and attended the gymnasium in Den Bosch. After his graduation he attended the academy of Bavaria Film Studios in Munich and the Netherlands Film Academy in...
, Islam-expert Reuel Marc Gerecht
Reuel Marc Gerecht
Reuel Marc Gerecht is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, focusing primarily on the Middle East, Islamic militancy, counterterrorism, and intelligence. He is a former director of the Project for the New American Century's Middle East Initiative and a former resident...
, 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...
and Onno Ruding
Onno Ruding
Herman Onno Christiaan Rudolf Ruding is a former Dutch banker and politician. He is a member of the Christian Democratic Appeal ....
, former finance minister of The Netherlands.
In the summer of 2005, the Board of the Foundation decided to focus its activities more exclusively on its educational, cultural and philosophical programs, taking the Intercollegiate Studies Institute
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute, Inc., or ', is a non-profit educational organization founded in 1953 as the Intercollegiate Society of Individualists...
explicitly as a role model. Consequently, Bart Jan Spruyt
Bart Jan Spruyt
Dr. Bastian Jan Spruyt is a Dutch historian, journalist and conservative writer.-Academic background:...
stepped back as full-time managing director of the think-tank to join the political party of Geert Wilders
Geert Wilders
Geert Wilders is a Dutch right-wing politician and leader of the Party for Freedom , the third-largest political party in the Netherlands. He is the Parliamentary group leader of his party in the Dutch House of Representatives...
, but remained a member of the governing Board of the Foundation. Several former employees then spun off the think-tank activities into a new group called the European Independent Institute
European Independent Institute
The European Independent Institute is a Dutch policy institute.It was founded by Sander Boon and Eline van den Broek, former members of the Edmund Burke Foundation. The institute focuses on free markets, and is more libertarian than the conservative Edmund Burke Foundation.The current status of the...
.
Media activities
In its think tank period, the Burke Foundation regularly published reports and studies on a variety of topics, including the Dutch health care sector, privatizationPrivatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
, wasteful government spending and conservative philosophy and thought. Members of the Burke Foundation published articles and op-eds in numerous newspapers, and many newspapers devoted substantial attention to the activities of the Foundation. Those newspapers include De Telegraaf
De Telegraaf
De Telegraaf is the largest Dutch daily morning newspaper, with a daily circulation of approximately . De Telegraaf is based in Amsterdam...
, de Volkskrant
De Volkskrant
de Volkskrant is a national daily Dutch morning newspaper, the leading centre-left broadsheet, although now in tabloid size.-History:...
, NRC Handelsblad
NRC Handelsblad
NRC Handelsblad, often abbreviated to NRC, is a daily evening newspaper published in the Netherlands by NRC Media. The newspaper was created on October 1, 1970, from merger of the Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant and Algemeen Handelsblad . In 2006 a morning newspaper, nrc•next, was launched...
, het Parool
Het Parool
Het Parool is an Amsterdam-based daily newspaper. It was founded as a resistance paper during World War II by Frans Van Heuven Goedhart and Jaap Nunes Vaz...
, Trouw, het Nederlands Dagblad
Nederlands Dagblad
The Nederlands Dagblad is a Dutch newspaper, available throughout the country, with a daily circulation of about 33,000 issues in 2006. In 2000, the circulation was 32,000 issues....
, and weekly magazines such as HP/De Tijd, Elsevier, De Groene Amsterdammer. Members of the Burke Foundation also appeared regularly on TV and Radio programs, including NOVA, Den Haag Vandaag, 2 Vandaag, and the Radio 1 News program.