Centrist Democrat International
The Centrist Democrat International is a Christian democratic political international. Until 2001, it was known as the Christian Democrat International and before 1999 as the Christian Democrat and People's Parties International. It was formed in 1961 in Santiago, Chile, as the Christian Democrat World Union, building on the legacy of other Christian Democrat internationals who tried to create a Christian-inspired third way alternative to the socialist internationals. In 1982, it was renamed for the first time to Christian Democrat International. The name was officially changed due to the participation of groups of various faiths. It is the global international political group dedicated to the promotion of Christian democracy. Although it gathers parties from around the globe, its members are drawn principally from Europe and Latin America. Some of them are also members of the conservative International Democrat Union, although the CDI is closer to the political centre and more communitarian than the IDU.
The CDI's European division is the European People's Party, currently the largest European political party. Its Latin American equivalent is the Christian Democrat Organization of America. The Democratic Party of the United States of America maintains links with CDI through the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. A youth organization of the CDI is currently being established under the name of Youth of the Centrist Democrat International.
Establishment history
- Dec 1925: The first international gathering of Catholic-Christian democratic parties takes place in Paris and they establish the Secrétariat International des Partis Démocratiques d'Inspiration Chrétienne . Member parties were from Belgium, Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Spain, Portugal and Lithuania.
- 1939-1945: World War II suspends the operations of the SIPDIC.
- 23 Apr 1947: Political leaders from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay meet in Montevideo, in order to create an international organization of Christian democratic parties. Representatives from Bolivia and Peru participate via diplomatic correspondence. The Declaration of Montevideo established the Organización Demócrata Cristiana de América , although the name was not formalized until their second meeting in July 1949.
- 03 Jun 1947: European Christian Democrats formed the Nouvelles Équipes Internationales in Chaudfontaine, Belgium, prompted by the suggestion of the Swiss a year prior to restart the SIPDIC. The NEI was open to non-Catholic parties as long as they ascribed to the principles of social democracy. They saw European integration as the best way to prevent the spread of communism into western Europe and thus encouraged exile groups from Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia to attend. The NEI also played a significant role in preparations for the Hague Congress and the eventual establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community.
- 26 Jul 1950: The Christian Democratic Union of Central Europe is formed in New York City to assist Christian democratic parties in exile by organising forces in opposition to communism according to a constitutional charter. By 1955, it had begun working with underground operatives in the Soviet bloc while simultaneously trying to coordinate efforts between European and Latin American Christian democratic parties.
- May, Jul 1956: The ODCA, NEI, and CDUCE meet for the first time in Paris at a gathering consisting of 33 delegations from 28 countries to discuss the creation of a global Christian democratic organisation.
- 1960: The three regional Christian democratic organisations establish the Christian Democratic International Information and Documentation Centre in Rome in order to provide political analyses for Christian democratic parties around the world.
- 1961: The World Union of Christian Democrats is established in Santiago.
- 1982: The WUCD changes its name to the Christian Democrat International .
- 1999: The CDI changes its name to the Centrist Democrat International due to an increasing membership of non-Christian political parties. Since October 2000, some have also informally referred to the CDI as the Christian Democrat and People's Parties International.
Executive Committee
The CDI Executive Committee is the highest body of the organization, formed by the president, the executive secretary and the vice-presidents.The current president of the CDI is Andrés Pastrana Arango of Colombia, while its Executive Secretary is Spanish MEP Antonio López-Istúriz, who is also Secretary-General of the EPP.
The members of the Executive Committee are:
- Andrés Pastrana Arango – President
- Antonio López-Istúriz – Executive Secretary
- Mário David – Deputy Executive Secretary
- César Maia – Vice-President
- Lourdes Flores – Vice-President
- Mike Eman – Vice-President
- Mariano Rajoy – Vice-President
- Juan Luis Seliman – Vice-President
- Gonzalo Arenas – Vice-President
- Naha Mint Mouknass – Vice-President
- Abbas El Fassi – Vice-President
- Edcel Lagman – Vice-President
- Mikulas Dzurinda – Vice-President
- Viktor Orbán – Vice-President
- Peter Hintze – Vice-President
- Jadranka Kosor – Vice-President
- Andrés Pastrana – Vice-President
- Luís Marques Mendes – Vice-President
- Wilfried Martens – Ex officio Vice-President
- Jorge Ocejo Moreno – Ex officio Vice-President
- Carlos Veiga – Ex officio Vice-President
Member parties
Observer parties
- ' – Heritage
- ' – Belarusian Christian Democracy
- ' – Brazilian Social Democracy Party
- ' – Popular Union of Equatorial Guinea
- ' – National Party of Honduras
- ' – Fanorenana
- ' – Mozambican National Resistance
- ' -
- * Party of the Hungarian Coalition
- * Christian Democratic Movement
Literature