 The stars from theflag of Europe have been added to the Paneuropean flag in 1955.[1] | |
 Original flag (1922) | |
| Abbreviation | PEU |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1923 (1923) |
| Type | International organisation |
| Legal status | NGO |
| Purpose | European unification movement |
| Headquarters | Strasbourg |
| Location | |
Region served | Europe |
President | Pavo Barišić |
Main organ | General Assembly |
| Website | www |
TheInternational Paneuropean Union, also referred to as thePan-European Movement and thePan-Europa Movement, is an international organisation and the oldestEuropean unification movement. It began with the publishing ofRichard von Coudenhove-Kalergi's manifestoPaneuropa (1923), whichpresented the idea of a unified European State. The Union's General Secretariat is located inMunich, but maintains branches across Europe.
Since February 2025, the President of the Union isPavo Barišić, whileAlain Terrenoire serves as the Honorary President.[2] The current vice president isWalburga Habsburg Douglas, a former member of theSwedish Parliament.[3]
Coudenhove-Kalergi, a member of the BohemianCoudenhove-Kalergi family and the son ofan Austro-Hungarian diplomat anda Japanese mother, was the organisation's central figure and President until his death in 1972.[citation needed]
AsFrench prime minister and follower of the Paneuropean UnionAristide Briand delivered a widely recognized speech at theLeague of Nations inGeneva on 5 September 1929 for afederal Europe to secure Europe and settle the historicFranco-German enmity.[4][5]
The organisation was prohibited byNazi Germany in 1933, and was founded again after theSecond World War.[6]Winston Churchill lauded the movement's work for a unified Europe prior to the war in his famous Zurich speech in 1946.[7][8] The French branch was founded byGeorges Pompidou andLouis Terrenoire, subsequently French President and Minister for Information respectively, with the support ofCharles de Gaulle.Otto von Habsburg, the head of theHabsburg dynasty and former Crown Prince ofAustria-Hungary, became involved with the Paneuropean Union in the 1930s, was elected its Vice President in 1957 and became its International President in 1973, after Coudenhove's death.
The organisation was much reviled by the communist regimes of theEastern Bloc. The organisation became renowned for its role in organising thePan-European Picnic, an important event during theRevolutions of 1989.
As of 2023, the Paneuropean Union Parliamentary Group in theEuropean Parliament consists of over 120 members from nearly all of theEU Member States and meets regularly during the sessions of the Parliament in Strasbourg.[9]
The organisation believes in a strong, politically and militarily, united Europe while supportinghumanist andChristian values. The EPU is committed to uniting the diverse peoples of Europe, promoting peace,liberty, andrule of law, and for developing strongerdemocracy andhuman rights across Europe. The organisation supports theenlargement of the European Union and encourages allEuropean countries to gain fullEU membership. The EPU advocates the EU to become an independent, self-sufficient, and peacefulsuperpower. The EPU also believes in maintaining a EuropeanCommon Security and Defence Policy, and establishing aEuropean army alongside strong cooperation withNATO.[9][10]
As of July 2023, the Paneuropean Union consists of member organizations in 32 countries across Europe:[11]
| No. | Image | Name | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | _%7e1930.jpg) | Count Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi | 1923–1972 | Elected the first International President in 1926 |
| 2 |  | Otto von Habsburg, MEP | 1973–2004 | Former Crown Prince Otto of Austria-Hungary |
| 3 |  | Alain Terrenoire | 2004–2025 | Former Member of Parliament and MEP, France |
| 4 |  | Pavo Barišić | 2025–present | FormerMinister of Science and Education, Croatia |
The Paneuropean Union lists the following as historical members:[12][13]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
