Edmund Burke Foundation

The Edmund Burke Foundation is a conservative think tank based in the Hague, the Netherlands. (It is unrelated to the Edmund Burke Institute in Dublin, Ireland).

Formed in 2000, it is both fiscally and socially conservative. It supports strong free-market reforms in healthcare and education and is opposed to abortion, euthanasia, and gay marriage. It advocates strong ties between the Netherlands and the United States, and holds that the evidence for global warming is shaky.

"The Edmund Burke Foundation seeks to promote conservative philosophy, develop policy proposals, and bring together those interested in conservatism in The Netherlands and to change public opinion in our notoriously 'progressive' country," its entry on the Atlas Economic Research Foundation database states.

The Foundation organizes policy-meetings, seminars, conferences and lectures for policymakers,journalists, students and donors. Admission to the annual Edmund Burke Foundation summer school, organized in coordination with the right-wing Intercollegiate Studies Institute, is competitive.

Personnel

 * Andreas Kinneging, Chairman
 * Dr. Bart Jan Spruyt, Secretary & Treasurer
 * Michiel Visser, International Secretary

Funding
The pharmaceutical company Pfizer has funded this right-wing think tank with 431.000 dollars ($431,000), starting in 2001. Pfizers aim was to stimulate debate in the Netherlands about a more market driven healthcare sector. In 2001 Pfizer paid 15.000 dollars ($15,000) for a lecture from the British conservative Roger Scruton. In 2002 they paid 25.000 dollars ($25,000), in 2003 121.000 ($121,000), in 2004 145.000 ($145,000) and in 2005 125.000 dollars ($125,000). In the summer of 2005 Pfizer stopped the funding of the foundation because of it's relation with the right-wing politician Geert Wilders.

Contact information
Postbus 10498 2501 HL The Hague The Netherlands Phone: 31-0-70-3925180 Fax: 31-0-70-3651809 Email: info AT burkestichting.nl Web: http://www.burkestichting.nl