Ave Europa – Charter of Principles and Values

Adopted by the Founding Members

Liminal Oath

We, members of Ave Europa, agree to uphold the following principled commitments. We affirm our desire to serve Europe by building a federation of sovereign peoples, founded on reason, civic duty, freedom, heritage and responsibility. This charter expresses our collective convictions and guides our political action.

We honour the enduring spirit of European civilisation – born from the myths and heroism of the Pagan world, shaped by the reason of ancient Greece and the law of Rome, deepened by the faith of Christendom, ignited by the fire of the Enlightenment, and guided by the principles of secular democracy. Our political movement is committed to upholding and defending this shared heritage as a living foundation for a freer, fairer, and more harmonious future.

Preamble

At present, Europe stands at a critical juncture. 

European nations face profound problems and injustices that have a detrimental impact on our aspiring young people, economically vulnerable families and, overall, productive law-abiding citizens. Our entrepreneurs and businesses are stifled by stringent bureaucracy, and local communities and regions are marginalised by ineffective and distant governance at all levels. An ongoing demographic crisis strains us, a modern war is on our doorstep, a systemic failure to keep pace in critical technological sectors, the erosion of our unique cultural identities, ongoing environmental upheaval, stagnant economics, and our European community is politically divided and at risk from hostile and foreign interests. 

These injustices arise from institutional inadequacies, political cowardice, and ethical failures. We pledge to confront these issues resolutely, driven by a collective responsibility and pragmatic idealism, to deliver the needed results for the European people.

We, the members of Ave Europa, commit ourselves to building a Europe that is sovereign, strong, united, and prosperous.

Long past are the days of European empires, when our continent exercised decisive influence on global affairs with ease and confidence. Over the last century, European nations gradually relinquished their strategic autonomy due to weakness and coercion, primarily stemming from the catastrophes of the 20th century, broadly marked by the decisive moments of 1918, 1945, and, finally, the Suez Crisis in 1956. Ever since, Europe has relied on external guarantees for security, primarily from NATO, allowing it to focus inwardly on economic prosperity and social welfare. While this model brought short-term stability, it inadvertently fostered complacency, leaving Europeans increasingly distant from the idea that they may once again need to actively defend their sovereignty, interests, and values on the global stage.

The European Union has long operated as a primarily economic entity, dedicated to shaping a rule-based system that encompasses fair competition, environmental responsibility, social protections, and the rule of law. While commendable, Europe’s dedication to these ideals is often disregarded internationally, as much of the world prioritises economic growth, national interest, and raw geopolitical power above post-war European norms. The uncomfortable reality is that European ideals such as environmental responsibility, human rights, and labour protections remain alien or secondary to many global actors. As such, Europe must learn again not only to promote its values globally but, more urgently, to safeguard them effectively as the birthplace of these ideals.

The current geopolitical climate underscores the urgency of Europe’s need to reclaim strategic autonomy. Recent developments – the looming risk of isolationism in the United States, exemplified by the re-election of figures advocating an inward-looking agenda, and the aggressive revisionism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – highlight how Europe’s reliance on external protection is dangerously outdated. Indeed, the Russian aggression serves as a stark reminder that complacency is no longer a luxury Europe can afford. In an increasingly unpredictable world, Europe must be ready to assert itself politically, economically, and militarily.

Ave Europa emerges as a political movement precisely because we recognise these realities and refuse to remain passive observers. Our vision is not one of upheaval or ideological extremism; instead, we embrace a restorative pragmatism. Ave Europa is deeply committed to democratic institutions, fundamental rights, and European unity, alongside a firm belief in strategic autonomy, robust defence capabilities, and balanced, responsible governance. Our mission is clear: we aim to renew Europe’s ability to act decisively, responsibly, and coherently in a challenging global landscape.

To address the critical crises we face – revisionist threats, economic stagnation, migration pressures, demographic decline, climate change, technological disruption, and democratic erosion – Ave Europa proposes a pragmatic yet ambitious approach. Our vision encompasses the establishment of integrated European defence capabilities and proactive immigration and demographic policies that prioritise skilled, integration-ready migration, while also safeguarding our ethnocultural identities, sustained and sound investment in innovation and infrastructure, and robust protection of our cultural and environmental heritage. Moreover, our movement emphasises constitutional renewal, decentralisation, and institutional reform, guided by transparency, meritocracy, reaffirmed rule of law and public ethics.

Ave Europa seeks not to overturn existing European institutions but to refine and empower them. Our civilisational goal blends respect for Europe’s diverse national and cultural identities with a commitment to a stronger, united federal structure capable of defending European interests and projecting influence abroad. We reject reactionary populism, anti-scientific dogma, and illiberal tendencies. Instead, we call for a new European pragmatism, informed by evidence, driven by reason, and dedicated to the well-being of all Europeans wherever they may live.

This initial document will serve as the starting point for outlining the concrete steps Ave Europa advocates, built on the foundations of moderation, realism, and determined reform. We do not promise revolutionary change overnight; rather, we seek sustainable, incremental progress toward restoring Europe’s strength, unity, and dignity. Guided by these principles, Ave Europa represents a visionary course of action, offering clarity amidst ideological confusion and reaffirming Europe’s role as a capable, confident, and responsible actor on the world stage.

I. Core Values

Ave Europa’s foundational principles include:

• Pan-European solidarity, unity, and cooperation, balancing decentralisation and federal integration.

• Secular, constitutional, and representative governance.

• Promotion of civic responsibility, an active and informed citizenship.

• Rational debate, freedom of conscience, freedom of speech reinforced by correlated obligations and responsibilities emanating therefrom, and freedom of inquiry.

• Individual liberty and democratic Institutions, safeguarded by an impartial rule of law.

• Transparency, meritocracy, and ethical leadership within government and broader society.

• Honour, virtue, and dedication to the common good of the European people.

• Preservation and celebration of Europe’s rich spiritual, historical, philosophical, and cultural heritage.

• Justice, social balance, social cohesion, and intergenerational responsibility.

• Rationality, scientific reasoning and intellectual freedom.

• Harmonious integration of unity and respecting our national differences, traditions and collective history, under a shared European identity.

II. Ideological Positioning

Ave Europa represents a pragmatic centrist and right-wing synthesis, combining:

• A foundational focus on strategic autonomy and civilisational identity for Europe with its constituent nations in one political bloc. (Civilisationism) 

• An explicit post-Atlanticist approach: a Europe that is neither under American influence nor Eurasianist in outlook, creating a new worldview to suit our own collective needs and desires. (Europeanism)

• A balanced mix of classical liberalism, meritocratic republicanism, and communitarianism. (Enlightenment Liberalism)

• A commitment to federalism, decentralisation, subsidiarity, and regional autonomy to respect Europe’s ethnocultural pluralism in the overall government structure. (Consociationalism)

• The rejection of demagogic populism, reactionary conservatism, leadership cults, technocratic stagnation, and ideological extremism. Working within Institutional frameworks with rule-bound governance is the answer, and pragmatically applying systematic reforms where needed. (Civic Constitutionalism)

• Support for economic dynamism – the protection of private property and promotion of a strong entrepreneurial ethos using viable and feasible innovation blended with social justice, labour rights, and social cohesion without being diluted by leftist progressivism. (Centrist Social liberalism)

•  A strategic and cultural embrace of the current and upcoming technological revolutions; AI, data management and cloud solutions, broad industrial automation, advanced robotics, quantum engineering, newly emerging nuclear and nano tech, advanced microelectronics such as semiconductor manufacturing, frontier biosciences and the vast expansion of the space sector. These are just key examples of what we ardently want Europe to take a leading role in. (Prometheanism and anti-Ludditism)

Ave Europa puts forward a confident and clear-headed synthesis of centrist realism and forward-thinking classical liberalism, aimed at building a stronger, self-reliant Europe. At our core is a vision of Europe as a united civilisation – rooted in its distinct identity and shared heritage, yet composed of diverse nations acting within a common political framework.

This project firmly moves beyond traditional Atlanticism and utterly condemns becoming a Eurasian dependency, advocating for a uniquely European geopolitical perspective tailored to the continent’s own priorities and aspirations.

We support a federal model that balances central authority with meaningful regional autonomy, ensuring that governance reflects Europe’s cultural and national variety. In contrast to both populist theatrics and technocratic inertia, we champion sober, constitutional governance based on rules, institutions, and reform where needed, not spectacle or ideology. Economically, we back a competitive, innovation-driven market system that safeguards private enterprise while maintaining social cohesion, workers’ rights, and justice.

Finally, Ave Europa looks boldly towards the future, urging Europe to take a pivotal role in transformative technologies, rejecting and ultimately aiming to crush the defeatism that too often hampers ambition. This is a call for a pragmatic, proud, and pioneering Europe – grounded in principle, but built to lead in the 21st century and beyond.

We believe in a Europe powered by the atom and defended by the atom.

III. Vision and Mission

Our vision for Europe prioritises:

• Robust democratic institutions within a European Federation capable of decisive, accountable governance, integrated defence and foreign services and budgets.

• Strategic autonomy through comprehensive European defence integration, achieving a EU sovereign military pillar within NATO or in a new European Defence Community (EDC), promoting military services with alternative civilian services, establishing federal joint forces, promoting a military ‘Erasmus programme’ for conscript and reservist European mobility – a precursor to our goal of creating a combined European military.

• Economic pragmatism emphasising innovation, sustainable growth, reindustrialisation, and competitiveness, while emphasising the reduction of economic barriers to business amongst European nations and their constituent states/regions.

• Cultivate intellectualism by promoting a cultural and educational renaissance rooted in European heritage, fostering critical thinking, civic virtue, and intellectual freedom through educational reforms and re-emphasising the importance of values and aesthetics. 

• Citizen empowerment and participatory governance informed by data-driven policymaking, and engagement methods promoted via new technologies and European digital platforms.

Our vision for Europe is one of a democratic federation capable of decisive governance, with unified institutions for defence, foreign policy, and budgeting. We advocate for genuine strategic autonomy through a sovereign European defence with shared and revamped military forces, mobility programs for conscripts and reservists, and expanded civilian support for the defence of our civilisation.

Economically, we support innovation-led growth, reindustrialisation, and the removal of internal market barriers. Culturally, we advocate for an educational revival grounded in Europe’s heritage, promoting critical thinking, civic virtue, and encouraging free inquisitiveness.

Our success will lead to the empowerment of European citizens by leveraging digital tools and data-driven policymaking to create a participatory, future-ready democracy.

IV. Constitutional Order and Political Reform

We champion substantial governance reforms to enhance democracy and stability:

• We propose a reinforced European parliamentary democracy, grounded in mixed electoral systems that strike a balance between proportionality and stability, thereby mitigating both political fragmentation and majoritarian dominance. The European Parliament should be granted full legislative powers and agency over the European Commission’s responsible governance, enhancing its role as a democratic engine of the Union.

• Regional and local autonomy must be enhanced to foster social and transcontinental cohesion, democratic proximity, and effective governance. Better coordination is needed between federal and euroregional levels to ensure coherence and subsidiarity across Europe.

• In the Council, the removal of residual veto powers is essential. A shift toward more flexible, “variable geometry” coalitions of member states should allow for dynamic agenda-setting and policy innovation, while respecting differing national rhythms and preferences.

• The European Commission must be strong, well-resourced, and capable of attracting Europe’s top administrative talent. It should combine solid technical expertise with attentiveness to national democratic mandates, as expressed through national parliaments, the European Parliament and the European Council. We also propose increasing the democratisation of these decision-making centres that currently exist in the European Union. 

• We call for a reorientation of the underlying political philosophy guiding certain European courts, whose jurisprudence can at times conflict with the general European interest. Judicial decisions must be aligned with the Union’s strategic priorities, societal realities and democratic legitimacy.

At a moment when Europe must respond to growing political, social, and global pressures, we believe the EU needs a deep and thoughtful transformation of its institutional framework. A key step is empowering the European Parliament as the Union’s primary legislative authority, elected through a balanced system that promotes both fair representation and functional governance. This would help bridge the gap between European institutions and the citizens they serve. We also emphasise the importance of giving more voice and agency to regions and municipalities, reinforcing the principle that political decisions should be made as close as possible to the people they affect.

In parallel, the EU Council should move beyond rigid unanimity rules, allowing flexible groupings of countries to lead on specific priorities without holding back collective progress. A stronger, more capable European Commission is also essential—one that attracts top talent, acts with independence and integrity, and remains responsive to both national governments and European democratic institutions.

Lastly, we call for a renewed judicial outlook that better reflects Europe’s shared goals and evolving social context, ensuring that legal rulings support, not stall, the EU’s democratic and strategic direction. These reforms are not about centralising power, but about rebalancing it: making the Union more democratic, resilient, and prepared for the future.

V. Economic and Social Model

Ave Europa’s economic strategy rests on three pillars: Invest, Protect, Liberate

• • Reform of nation-states’ administrative and political infrastructures, to enable more transparent, leaner, more accountable governance.

• Reinforcing dialogue and non-confrontational engagement between labour, capital, and government is necessary to update the social contract within Europe to face the geopolitical realities of the day.

• Strategic investments in industry, digital and environmental transitions, nuclear energy, critical technologies, and infrastructure.

• Protection of citizens from market distortions, rapid technological transformations, and ensuring fair labour conditions through welfare reforms, labour dignity and flexicurity models, while not detracting from the need for growth, technological advancement, and entrepreneurship.

• Removal of bureaucratic barriers impeding innovation, entrepreneurship, and personal advancement, combined with economic liberalisation across Europe.

• Implementation of European tax harmonisation policies, together with joint taxes to fund a standalone EU budget with tax-raising powers.

• A citizen-centred model of welfare: supportive but not dependency-inducing. Welfare should be residual in nature, targeted toward extreme hardship, such as indigence or long-term incapacity, rather than acting as a permanent safety net. Its purpose is to empower individuals, not to entrench passivity. Education, likewise, must be conceived as a formative journey aimed at cultivating character, competence, and civic responsibility, rather than serving as a tool for social engineering or ideological moulding.

The State must be limited, efficient, and accountable. Citizens must be politically empowered and feel connected to the European political apparatus. Institutions must be efficiently run, assist elected governments in delivering results, and be worthy of trust.

VI. Foreign Relations and Defence

Ave Europa advocates a coherent and autonomous European strategic policy:

• Solidarity and active support for European nations under threat, particularly Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Cyprus, and Moldova. Likewise, support for like-minded movements and groups in both European and non-European nations.

• Advocacy for European digital sovereignty, including secure data infrastructure, fusing AI development with defence, and protection against foreign digital monopolies.

• An uncompromising refusal of any tutelage by hostile actors such as the current U.S. administration, China, Russia or any other adversarial power or group.

• Development of a sovereign European defence pillar within NATO (or in a new EDC if necessary), enhanced interoperability between European militaries, and establishment of joint European military command structures and streamlined modes of domestic-sourced procurement to end the reliance on other powers for security. 

• Firm external border controls complemented by pragmatic and effective offshore migration management, in particular to relieve pressure and stress on Europe’s internal borders and halt illegal and irregular migration into Europe to help bolster our domestic security.

• Protection and promotion of Europe’s strategic global interests and resources through cooperative international partnerships aligned with European values, while developing the capability for Europe to project power abroad.

• Solidarity with liberal-democratic movements in third countries that struggle to modernise their governance models.

VII. Culture, Education, and Identity

Our approach includes:

• Celebrating Europe’s heritage and cultural traditions without historic guilt-trips, working to overcome current and prior inter-European grievances whilst not forgetting the past by working towards a fraternal kinship;

• Support traditional arts, literature, humanist education, scientific inquiry and upholding our national histories and civilisational heritage from all past eras;

• Reasserting pride and vitality in our intangible heritage, languages, ethnology, histories, landscapes and achievements, by a European Heritage Policy;

• Reaffirming Europe’s unique cultural and civilisational distinctiveness, primarily based on the heritage of Greece, Rome, Christianity and our Enlightenment traditions, while promoting openness and mutual respect among diverse European cultural traditions and customs;

• Supporting secular education that upholds individual freedom of belief, discouraging conspicuous sectarian symbolism in public institutions and schools;

• Reinforce education and civic engagement that’s deeply rooted in European history, culture, and civic virtues, while combating educational poverty and functional illiteracy to prevent the rise of populism and mendacity in the body politic;

• Rejecting divisive Americanised identity politics, leftist progressivism (wokeism), reactionary nationalism, demagoguery, populism, political cults and religious sectarianism in the broader European culture. 

• Promote and cultivate the concept of a layered identity for all Europeans. This will work by people seeing their ethnocultural identity stemming firstly from their regional, then national and finally their civilisational identity. This will be pursued to foster a continental bond that’s upheld and rooted in Europe’s pluralism and cultural diversity.

We advocate for a mature and forward-looking approach to European historical memory – one that moves beyond guilt-based narratives and embraces a long-term perspective that recognises the complexity of shared histories, layered identities, converging external influences that have shaped Europe, as well as the continent’s own cultural radiance and global impact. While past events must be acknowledged with honesty and responsibility, our aim is to foster a collective European memory that deepens a sense of fraternity and shared destiny. European patriotism may be anchored in constitutional values, but it must also reflect the cultural and historical richness of a continent forged through centuries of exchange, transformation, and civilisation. Europe should not be envisioned as a procedural or purely propositional entity, but as a civilisational space grounded in historical continuity and cultural substance.

At the same time, we recognise and honour the contributions of varying non-European diasporas who have genuinely integrated into European societies over the centuries. Through their active participation in the continent’s prosperity and their engagement in its intellectual and artistic life, they help carry forward the spiritual and historical legacy of Europe.

Our aspiration is founded on the principle that individuals understand their ethnocultural identity as emerging first from regional roots, then from national belonging, and ultimately from a broader civilisational heritage. This layered conception of identity is crucial for fostering a continental bond anchored in Europe’s rich ethnocultural legacy.

A legacy worth defending and advancing.

VIII. Red Lines and Final Commitments

Our explicit commitments include:

• Opposition to oligarchic state-capture, authoritarianism, religious extremism, and ideological dogmatism whilst promoting our synthesis ideology of Europeanism to combat these tendencies adequately;

• Complete rejection of Eurasianism, American-led Atlanticism and other anti-European ideologies being promoted that undermine the sovereignty, identity, and unity of Europe;

• Pragmatic immigration management, responsible climate policies, and balanced socio-economic policies that respect and reinforce the heritage of Europe;

• Strategic autonomy within NATO, cooperation with like-minded democracies, and active resistance against hostile geopolitical forces;

• Advocacy for nuclear energy as a pragmatic environmental solution, combined with responsible ecological stewardship;

• Moderate positions on fundamental Human rights, including gender equality, gay rights, reproductive freedoms, and civil liberties;

• Sidelining utopian, reactionary or leftist ideologies that are incompatible with modern, civic European life –  including absolute monarchy, communism, theocratic rule, neo-feudalism, fascism, anarcho-primitivism, and other fantastical or archaic visions.

• Support for strong external borders and improved asylum standards to restore trust in legal migration frameworks and protect civic unity;

• Affirmation of national identities within a European whole, recognising that cultural diversity, regional and national pride, and linguistic richness are assets, not threats, when anchored in a common civilisational project; 

• Unambiguous embrace of technological progress as a pillar of European sovereignty, prosperity, and civilisational vitality;

• Firm rejection of petty nationalism, ethnic or cultural chauvinism amongst Europeans, and strongly against any intra-European revanchism that fuels historical resentment, undermines trust between nations, and fractures our shared European destiny.

Final words

Ave Europa is dedicated to realising a confident, cohesive, federated Europe, founded upon realism, liberty, responsibility, and shared cultural values. We pledge ourselves to this vision, knowing our actions today shape the future of European civilisation for generations to come.

In sum, we envision a Europe that protects and nurtures its civilisation, reclaims its geopolitical sovereignty and strategic autonomy, builds democratic institutions for a federalised union, projects power and safeguards its vital interests, leads in innovation, research, and industry, ensures dignity, security, and opportunity for all its citizens, promotes natural demographic renewal and cultural continuity, and respects national particularities while fostering unity.

It is now Europe’s hour to shape the coming centuries, not merely survive them; to rise, to reclaim our destiny and become the Queen of Continents once more.

Fellow Europeans, join us. 

AVE EUROPA