European Letter on Alcide De Gasperi and Otto von Habsburg

The European Letter "Alcide De Gasperi and Otto von Habsburg on the Europe of Peoples and Cultures" was published on 25 July 2025 as part of the series of the European Society Coudenhove-Kalergi.

It contains a revised excerpt from the speech delivered by Pavo Barišić at the international conference "The Europe of Peoples and Cultures: From the Thinking of De Gasperi and Otto von Habsburg on Modern Cultural Districts," organised by Paneuropa Italy on 30 May 2025 at Miramare Castle in Trieste.

EUROPEAN LETTER OF THE 25. 7. 2025

ALCIDE DE GASPERI AND OTTO VON HABSBURG ON EUROPE AS A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLES AND CULTURES

The vision of a united Europe as a community of peoples and cultures, grounded in dialogue and dignity, is essentially a Pan-European heritage. Visionaries such as Alcide De Gasperi and Otto von Habsburg developed and promoted this idea with genuine conviction. Both men made a decisive contribution to building a peaceful Europe. They respected and defended cultural diversity as a source of enrichment – not division.

Their work reminds us that the European integration project has never been merely a functional endeavour focused on a common market. It is also above all a political and cultural enterprise based on unity in diversity.

For De Gasperi and von Habsburg, the construction of Europe as a community of cultures and peoples was both a political and a spiritual calling. They took up this mission in the spirit of Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi, the ‘prophet of Europe’. Their ideas continue to guide the future development of the European Union.

De Gasperi’s concept of a “Europe of peoples” envisaged a continent brought together not by erasing differences, but by respectful and cooperative coexistence. From his youth, he developed original ideas aimed at mobilising cultural and political forces for a united
Europe – always grounded in political reality and combining theory with practice.

The promotion of multilingualism in the EU owes much to de Gasperi, who championed this approach even in his youth. From 1904 on, as editor of Il Trentino, he engaged in political and cultural discourse – a commitment he maintained for over fifty years, from his
service a member of the Austro-Hungarian Parliament to his tenure as Italian Prime Minister and respected European statesman. His contribution to Italy’s democratic renewal and its reintegration into the international community during the so-called “de Gasperi era” was profound.

Otto von Habsburg was likewise a passionate advocate of Europe’s cultural diversity. He envisioned a Europe in which freedom of conscience, historical memory, and pluralistic identities formed the foundation – not the obstacle – to unity. Throughout his life, he warned emphatically of the dangers facing the continent. Like De Gasperi, he rejected a narrow, purely economic interpretation of the European project. He called for a spiritual and moral renewal of Europe – rooted in Christian values and the free development of cultural identity. He believed that cultural diversity is not only desirable, but essential to the continent’s stability and identity.

Otto’s vision of Europe was founded on the belief that the many cultural traditions – even though historically disparate – can coexist within a larger political community structured around solidarity and subsidiarity. Under his leadership, the Pan-European Union strongly defended minority rights, including cultural rights. His advocacy for the EU accession of Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia testifies to his profound commitment to an inclusive Europe.

Both De Gasperi and Otto von Habsburg recognised that a truly united Europe is built not on markets or power structures, but on dialogue, trust and an unwavering commitment to human dignity. The answers to Europe’s future lie in cultural diversity, dialogue, and the dignity of all peoples. Today, we can reaffirm De Gasperi’s conviction that a Europe which protects and cherishes its cultural distinctiveness is also a Europe capable of deeper political integration.

Europe in the 21st century must not become a fortress of fear or exclusive identities. It must remain an open space for culture, encounter, and exchange. More than ever, culture is a force that unites where politics divides and heals where history has left wounds.

Having made great strides in economic cooperation and political compromise, it is now time for Europe to turn its attention to memory, heritage and values. A new phase of integration must celebrate cultural diversity – not merely tolerate it. Europe thrives not only on rules, but also on the creativity of its artists, the vision of its thinkers, and the engagement of its citizens.

De Gasperi and von Habsburg shaped Europe not in the pursuit of dominance, but as a community of peoples and cultures. Their vision encourages us not to fear Europe’s diversity, but to embrace it as its great strength.

• European Letter 204/2025 (DE/FR/EN) (PDF)