What is National Liberalism?

Liberalism is the central ideology on which national liberalism is based. It can be considered a variant of liberalism as it brings together several policies and issues originating from nationalism. Numerous political parties have been formed that support a “national-liberal” agenda. These national liberalism parties often identify based on ideology or name. Historically, these groups gained significant momentum during the 19th century in Europe. The doctrine was prominent in Central Europe, the Nordic countries and Southeast Europe.

These parties have nationalist-liberalist policies on migration, citizenship, international relations and trade. Many European parties currently employ this ideology. It differs from the core features of current liberalism, which argues the need to submit a person to the state. National liberalists believe that it is vital for every citizen to pursue individual/economic emancipation while concurrently supporting national sovereignty. National liberalists often believe in the need for their supporters to accept protectionist policies. They believe these government interventions in the economy are for the good of the people. Despite subscribing to this principle, they argue that acceptance of protectionist policies should be limited. The ideology believes there is an urgent need to support the national private sector. National liberalists often criticize the concept of a world government. They are more concerned with having free, independent and liberal states.

The first Hungarian Prime Minister described national liberalism as essential for the successful development of a nation-state. József Antall rose to power being a historian and Christian democrat in 19th-century Europe. The ideologies they employed took pieces from social conservatism and economic liberalism.”

Origins of National Liberalism

National liberalism is believed to have originated in the early 19th century—the ruling political societies during that era mainly subscribed to the values of conservative liberalism and classical liberalism. The ideologies were laws prescribed by the ruling hereditary monarchies of the time. Central Europe commonly used these ideologies.

National liberals have always been stout supporters of private businesses succeeding. They describe themselves as pro-business; however, this refers mainly to the domestic economy. They were not fully subscribed to free trade and economic liberalism. For these economic events to occur, there must be a significant net benefit to the domestic economy. The ideology was formed to promote cooperation between the government and the national industry. They advocated for the government to implement moderate protectionism and preferential custom unions. They argued that introducing subsidies for infant industries would help strengthen the local economy’s performance in the international market. For the early national liberalists, it was critical that the government efficiently owned and ran federal strategic sectors, i.e. infrastructure and defence.

National liberalism gained momentum quickly. In the 19th century, it spread to numerous countries such as Germany, Denmark and Finland. During this era, federal liberals and their parties were soon elected into government positions. This feature was most common in German-speaking countries. These national liberals advocated for implementing an authoritarian or conservative political regime. They argued that the multi-ethnic character or heterogeneous nature of countries like the Austrian Empire threatened their governance.

Principles and Core Values of National Liberalism

1. They value allegiance and individual liberty.
2. They value private property and human rights.
3. They value pluralism, tolerance, autonomy, bodily integrity and consent.
4. They value patriotism.
5. They value individualism. To them, every person is more important than the collective body or social group. 
6. They value rationalism. To them, a rational government structure is easily identified through human reason and critical inquiry.
7. They value freedom. They fully support the right for a person to think or act as one wishes within their agency.
8. They value responsibility. Accountability for yourself, your economic position, and your social circumstance are essential.
9. They value justice. They support the morally justifiable distribution of rewards and punishment.
10. They value tolerance. People need to accept views they disagree with or disapprove of.

Notable Figures Associated with National Liberalism

• József Antall is a notable figure in national liberalism. He was initially a historian and Christian democrat. He rose to power in the 19th century when he was elected as Prime Minister of Hungary at the end of the communist era. He spoke highly of national liberalism, adding that it was crucial for developing a patriotic nation-state. 

• Oskar Mulej, a famous historical scholar, argued that based on ideologies and political party traditions, Central European countries needed their distinct type of liberalism specific to their geographical location. 

• Famous conservative writer Michael Lind identified national liberalism as a mixture of social conservatism and moderate economic liberalism.

Impact of National Liberalism on Modern Politics

Globalization has accelerated rapidly in recent years. Domestic markets across the world are struggling to keep up with the powerhouses. Many conglomerate corporations can produce at meagre costs because of their size. National liberalists in the modern era advocate for introducing protectionist policies. They view the need for tariffs as critical to protecting the local industry from heavily subsidized large-scale companies that trade worldwide. 

Advantages of National Liberalism

National liberalism encourages consumers and suppliers to choose locally produced materials and products. The imposed protectionist policies will make imported products and materials more expensive.  

National liberalism allows people to have property rights which encourages foreign direct investment.

National liberalism believes in heavily subsidizing small businesses with the potential to grow the economy. 

How National Liberalism Differs from Liberalism

National liberalism differs from classical liberalism. National liberalism values preserving national identity and values, even limiting individual rights and freedoms. Classical liberalism, however, values individual freedom and minimal government interference in economic and social affairs. National liberalism tends to be less optimistic about globalization and open borders and favours stronger borders and immigration controls to protect the country’s culture and economy. They also favour a stronger welfare state to protect citizens and the economy.