The Centrist Democrat International (CDI; , IDC) is a political international inspired by the values of Christian democracy. Until 2001, it was known as the Christian Democrat International (CDI); before 1999, it was known as the Christian Democrat and People's Parties International. This earlier name is still sometimes used colloquially. It is the primary international political group dedicated to promoting Christian democracy. Although it attracts parties from around the globe, its members are drawn principally from

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and

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. Although in recent years, the Centrist Democrat International has expanded its presence in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. This has led to the development of the IDC.Africa, the Centrist Democrat International's regional organization in Africa.

Overview

The IDC-CDI was formed in 1961 in Santiago, Chile, as the Christian Democrat World Union, building on the legacy of other Christian democrat internationals which were an alternative to the socialist internationals who tried to create a Christian-inspired third way. In 1999, it was renamed the Centrist Democrat International due to the participation of groups from other religions such as the Islamic National Awakening Party (PKB) of

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. The September 2001 leadership conference in Mexico City changed the organization's name to Centrist Democrat International, retaining its original CDI acronym. References to religion were not allowed in many Asian and African countries, and the IDC-CDI would not have been able to extend into Asia and Africa without a name change. The IDC-CDI's European division is the European People's Party, the largest European political party. Its American equivalent is the Christian Democrat Organization of America. The Democratic Party of the United States maintains links with the IDC-CDI through the National Democratic Institute.

Timeline

* December 1925: The first international gathering of

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- Christian democratic parties takes place in

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, establishing the International Secretariat of Democratic Parties of Christian Inspiration (SIPDIC). Member parties were from Belgium, Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, and Lithuania. * 1939 to 1945:

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suspends the SIPDIC. * 23 April 1947: Political leaders from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay meet in Montevideo to create an international organization of Christian democratic parties. Representatives from Bolivia and Peru participate via diplomatic correspondence. The Declaration of Montevideo establishes the Organización Demócrata Cristiana de América (ODCA), although the name is not formalized until their second meeting in July 1949. * 3 June 1947: European Christian Democrats form the Nouvelles Équipes Internationales (NEI) in Chaudfontaine, Belgium, prompted by the Swiss a year before restarting the SIPDIC. The NEI, open to non-Catholic parties who subscribed to the principles of social democracy, sees European integration as the best way to prevent the spread of communism into western Europe and encourages exile groups from Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia to attend. The NEI plays a significant role in preparations for the Hague Congress and the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community. * 26 July 1950: The Christian Democratic Union of Central Europe (CDUCE) is formed in

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to assist Christian democratic parties in exile by organizing forces in opposition to communism. By 1955, it begins working with underground operatives in the Soviet bloc while trying to coordinate efforts between European and Latin American Christian Democratic parties. * May and July 1956: The ODCA, NEI, and CDUCE meet for the first time in Paris at a gathering of 33 delegations from 28 countries to discuss the creation of a global Christian democratic organization. * 1960: The three regional Christian democratic organizations establish the Christian Democratic International Information and Documentation Centre (CDI-IDC) in Rome to provide political analyses for Christian democratic parties around the world. * 1961: The World Union of Christian Democrats (WUCD) is established in Santiago. * 1982: The WUCD changes its name to the Christian Democrat International (CDI). * 1999: The CDI changes its name to the Centrist Democrat International due to the increasing membership of non-Christian political parties. Since October 2000, some have informally referred to the CDI as the Christian Democrat and People's Parties International. CDI member parties are generally members of the ODCA or the European People's Party (EPP, the successor of NEI).

Executive committee

The IDC-CDI executive committee consists of the president, secretary-general, and vice-presidents. The president is Andrés Pastrana Arango of Colombia and the Secretary-General is MEP Antonio López-Istúriz of

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. Members of the executive committee are: * Andrés Pastrana Arango (Colombia) – President * Antonio López-Istúriz (Spain) – Secretary-General * César Maia (Brazil) – Vice-President * Lourdes Flores Nano (Peru) – Vice-President * Mariana Gómez del Campo (Mexico) – Vice-President * Andrés Hernández (Cuba) – Vice-President * Janez Janša (Slovenia) – Vice-President * Viktor Orbán (Hungary) – Vice-President * Andrej Plenković (Croatia) – Vice-President * Elmar Brok (Germany) – Vice-President * Suos Yara (Cambodia) – Vice-President * Muhaimin Iskandar (Indonesia) – Vice-President * Juan Edgardo Angara (Philippines) – Vice-President * Amine Gemayel (Lebanon) – Vice-President * Adalberto Costa Jr. (Angola) – Vice-President * Anne Désirée Ouloto (Ivory Coast) – Vice-President * Nizar Baraka (Morocco) – Vice-President * Pier Ferdinando Casini (Italy) – Honorary President * José María Aznar (Spain) – Honorary President * Ofelia Acevedo (Cuba) – Honorary Vice-President * Mario David (Portugal) – Honorary Vice-President * Ulisses Correia e Silva (Cape Verde) – Vice-President ex-officio * Manfred Weber (Germany) – Vice-President ex officio * Riccardo Pozzi (Italy) – Treasurer

Member parties

Former members

* – Andorran Democratic Centre * – New Centre (, NC) (until 2011) * – Justicialist Party (, PJ) (until 2020s) * – Humanist Democratic Centre * – Christian Democratic Union * – Pro Patria Union * – Union for a Popular Movement * – Hungarian Democratic Forum * – Union of Democrats for Europe * – Conservative Party * – Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization – People's Party * – Panameñista Party * – Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party * – Democratic Union of Catalonia * – Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland * – Batkivshchyna

Observer parties

The IDC-CDI has 21 observers, including: * –

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() * – New Azerbaijan Party (, YAP) * – Belarusian Christian Democracy (, BKhD) * - BPF Party (Belarusian: Партыя БНФ) * - Christian Democratic Party (Bolivia) (Spanish: ''Partido Demócrata Cristiano'', PDC) * - Bonaire Patriotic Union (Papiamentu: ''Union Patriótiko Boneriano'', UPB; Dutch: ''Patriottische Unie van Bonaire'') * – Brazilian Social Democracy Party (, PSDB) * - Social Christian Unity Party (Spanish: ''Partido Unidad Social Cristiana, PUSC'') * – Popular Union of Equatorial Guinea (, PUP) * – Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (, PDGE) * - Christian Democratic Party of Honduras (Spanish: ''Partido Demócrata Cristiano de Honduras'', PDC) * – National Party of Honduras (, PNH) * - Democratic League of Kosovo (Albanian: ''Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës,'' LDK) * - Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (Lithuanian: ''Tėvynės sąjunga – Lietuvos krikščionys demokratai,'' TS-LKD) * - Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal (French: ''Parti républicain démocratique et social,'' PRDS) * – Mozambican National Resistance (, RENAMO) * – Christian Democratic Movement (, KDH) * - United National Congress * - Democratic Party (Uganda) (Swahili: ''Chama cha Kidemokrasia,'' DP) * - Christian Democratic Party of Uruguay (Spanish: ''Partido Demócrata Cristiano del Uruguay'') * - Partido Nacional

Notes

External links

Centrist Democrat International
{{Authority control Christian democratic parties Christian political organizations Political internationals Political organizations established in 1961