International Democracy Union Explained
| International Democracy Union |
| Abbreviation: | IDU |
| Formerly: | International Democrat Union (until 2023) |
| Purpose: | World federation of right-of-centre/moderate-to-conservative political parties[1] [2] |
| Headquarters: | Munich, Bavaria, Germany |
| Region Served: | Worldwide |
| Membership: | 84 political parties and 8 organisations |
| Language: | English |
| Leader Title: | Chairman |
| Leader Name: | Stephen Harper (Conservative Party of Canada) |
| Leader Title2: | Deputy Chairman |
| Leader Name2: | Brian Loughnane (Liberal Party of Australia) |
The International Democracy Union (IDU; known as the International Democrat Union until September 2023)[3] is an international alliance of center-right to right wing political parties.[4] [5] Headquartered in Munich, Germany,[6] the IDU consists of 84 full and associate members from 65 countries.[7] It is chaired by Stephen Harper, former prime minister of Canada. It has two affiliated international organizations (International Young Democrat Union and International Women's Democracy Union) and six affiliated regional organizations (Union of Latin American Parties, Asia Pacific Democrat Union, Caribbean Democrat Union, Democrat Union of Africa, European People's Party and European Conservatives and Reformists Party).
The IDU allows "centre-right" conservative political parties around the world to establish contacts and discuss different views on public policy and related matters. Their stated goal is the promotion of "democracy and [of] center-right policies around the globe".[8] The IDU has some overlap of member parties with the Centrist Democrat International (CDI), but the CDI is more centrist, Christian democrat and communitarian than the IDU.[9]
The group was founded in 1983 as the umbrella organisation for the European Democrat Union (EDU), Caribbean Democrat Union (CDU), and the Asia Pacific Democrat Union (APDU). Created at the instigation of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and U.S. Vice President George H. W. Bush, the organisation was founded at a joint meeting of the EDU and APDU in London, United Kingdom.[10]
Founding
The IDU was founded in London on 24 June 1983.[11] According to Richard V. Allen, to be admitted as a member, a party must qualify as a "mainstream conservative" party influenced by classical liberalism.[12]
The founding declaration was signed by 19 persons:[13]
Member parties
Full members
Former members
Chairmen
See also
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Declaration of Principles, London 1983 . idu.org . February 2018.
- News: Hunter . Marjorie . Weaver . Warren Jr. . Briefing; A Parties' Party . . July 24, 1985.
- internationaldemocracyunion . Cww65oYowzn . As part of celebrating 40 years of championing #democracy and #freedom, the IDU Executive approved the re-launch of our organization as the 'International Democracy Union'. While our values remain constant, this small adjustment clarifies our cause as we work to expand our network in support of democracy worldwide. Welcome to the International Democracy Union! #idu40 . September 4, 2023 . https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cww65oYowzn/ . 16 October 2023.
- News: Weisman . Steven R. . 23 September 1989 . Conservative Figures See 'Bright' Future . live . . New York City . 1553-8095 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210716145052/https://www.nytimes.com/1989/09/23/world/conservative-figures-see-bright-future.html . 16 July 2021 . 13 October 2022.
- News: Sanger . David E. . 11 June 2002 . Bush in Terrorist Warning . live . . New York City . 1553-8095 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210719025159/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/11/world/bush-sees-sharon-and-says-time-isn-t-ripe-for-peace-conference.html . 19 July 2021 . 13 October 2022 . President Bush warned an international group of conservative and moderate politicians at the White House tonight that terrorists could attain 'catastrophic power' with weapons of mass destruction and would readily use that power to attack the United States or other nations. The president made his remarks to about 100 members of the International Democrat Union, a group of international center and center-right political parties that met today and Sunday for a conference in Washington..
- Book: Burnell, Peter J. . Globalizing Democracy: Party Politics in Emerging Democracies . 2006 . Taylor & Francis . London . 978-0-415-40184-5 . 63 .
- Web site: International Democrat Union . IDU Members . idu.org . 2016-04-22 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140701142810/http://www.idu.org/member.aspx . 2014-07-01 .
- https://www.idu.org/about/history/ IDU — History
- Book: Mohr, Alexander . The German Political Foundations as Actors in Democracy Assistance . 2010 . Universal-Publishers . Boca Raton . 978-1-59942-331-9 . 151 .
- Book: Goldman, Ralph Morris . The Future Catches Up: Transnational Parties and Democracy . 2002 . Taylor & Francis . London . 978-0-595-22888-1 . 418 .
- Web site: The Founding Meeting Of The Union . 24 June 1983 . International Democrat Union . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221210012730/http://www.idu.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Minutes-London-1983.pdf . Dec 10, 2022 .
- News: By Any Other Name, Conservative . The New York Times . July 27, 1985 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221210012721/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/27/us/by-any-other-name-conservative.html . Dec 10, 2022 .
- Web site: International Democrat Union, minutes of founding meeting, 1993.
