abstract:National conservatism is a political term used primarily in Europe to describe a variant of conservatism which concentrates more on national interests than standard conservatism as well as upholding cultural and ethnic identity, while not being outspokenly nationalist or supporting a far-right approach. In Europe, national conservatives are usually eurosceptics.
In any event, the fiscal conservatism implied by National's centre-right ideology means that the new government will seek to present most of its policy measures as having a long-term benefit for productivity and competitiveness.
The whole matter of identifying the national being raises very uncomfortable questions for American conservatism about the degree to which it pulls the focus away from self-reflection about our individual souls or selves.