DECLARATION OF LAKITELEK
"For a Christian Europe”

Participants of the conference, representatives of Christian and Christian-democratic parties, movements and civil organisations from more than ten countries have examined new chances for Christian politics in Europe. We are at the brink of historical changes taking place on our continent and welcome the eastern enlargement of the European Union.
We acknowledge and give thanks to God for the many privileges that we enjoy: the liberation of Europe form oppression of communism; the spirit of reconciliation and fraternity offered by the community of nations in the European Union; the recognition of many civil rights and liberties; comparative economic prosperity; an end to the threat of war between the nations of our continent.
In the midst of new external (international) and internal challenges Europe cannot renounce her Christian values and the cultural-spiritual traditions based upon this values. Social justice, the integrity of life, the role of the family, equality between nations and persons are at the very heart of these biblical values. We believe that Jesus Christ calls us to follow him in every area of our lives, including the realm of politics. We recognise that the Kingdom of God cannot be simply identified with any political cause, but we affirm that it demands the pursuit of just government and the promotion of well ordered societies.
Using their best knowledge and will participants of the conference wish to act for the above goals with their current meeting and their intended future co-operation. Political and civil organisations representing Christian values throughout Europe think that their main task is to link people and nations of the continent closer. Therefore they want to launch a new Christian Political Movement for Europe, which will be the platform for new initiatives.

We agreed on the following agenda:
As soon as the enlargement of Europe has passed we will work on a common vision about the content and meaning of Christian politics in the framework of the European Union.
From a renewed perspective we will aim at consensus within the family of European Christian parties behind a Christian programme for Europe.
In order to give our actions a permanent character we will establish a European structure for our co-operation. ChristianUnion and Hungarian Democratic Forum will back this process.
In the interest of the future of Europe we want to strengthen the training of young people. Fulfilment of the long-term aims of the current conference will be helped by several educational programmes. We welcome the initiatives of the Hungarian Democratic Forum to establish a post-graduate course in the topic of the European Union (European Department) in Lakitelek, and also to establish “Mindszenty Academy” and “Bethlen Gábor Academy”.
In order to fulfil these goals we will form a co-ordinating committee, that will regularly meet and work out plans.

This declaration is signed at Lakitelek, a historical place in the Hungarian transition process. Here, new political life, based on christian values, began in 1987. At that time, an iron curtain separated western and eastern territories, states and nations of he continent. Now, at the brink of the re-unification of Europe, we hope that Lakitelek will be the place where new political life for Europe will begin.

November 30, 2002

Hungarian Democratic Forum (Hongarije)
ChristianUnion (Nederland)
Estonian Christian Peoples Party (Estland)
Partei Bibeltreuer Christen (Duitsland)
Christian People’s Alliance (Verenigd Koninkrijk)