Еуропадағы либерализм: шолу және ағымдар

Overview of liberalism in Europe
A general overview and comprehensive discussion of this topic may be found in the article Liberalism. In general, liberalism in Europe is a political movement that supports a broad tradition of individual liberties and constitutionally limited and democratically accountable government. These European derivatives of classical liberalism are found in centrist movements and parties as well as some parties on the centre left and the centre right. Liberalism in Europe is broadly divided into two groups, "social" and "conservative". This differs from the American method of dividing liberalism into "modern" (simply liberal) and "classical" (or libertarian), although the two groups are very similar to their European counterparts. Most liberalism in Europe is conservative or classical, whilst European social liberalism and progressivism is rooted in radicalism, a left wing classical liberal idea.)

European liberalism is largely divided into classical (in practical terms, liberalism as it is applied to the economy), social, and conservative–liberalism. In the US, people who are called "liberals" generally advocate for a larger government, some forms of protectionism, and more economic interventionism, and are sometimes also called social democrats, or even leftists. In contrast, European liberals usually favor limited government, free trade and adhere to economic liberalism.

European liberalists tend to support the European Union. One example is Emmanuel Macron, the current President of France, who campaigned against Marine Le Pen, a candidate from the far right, nationalist, anti EU party known as the National Rally. Some prominent European liberalists, such as Guy Verhofstadt (former Prime Minister of Belgium), Viviane Reading (current Vice President of the European Commission), and Matteo Renzi (former Prime Minister of Italy), are proponents of a future federalisation of the European Union.

Among European liberals, "classical liberals" and "social liberals" support cultural liberalism (ex. LGBT rights issues including same sex marriage, legalization of some drugs, opening immigration, etc. ), but most "conservative liberals", including ordoliberals, Christian democrats and some agrarians, take a moderate to conservative stance on cultural issues. (For example, Finland's Keskusta, or "Centre Party", a Nordic agrarian party, follows conservative liberalism in this sense.)