Organization

Our European regional is represented by the European People’s Party (EPP), whose president is Manfred Weber, current Vice-President Ex-Officio of the IDC-CDI. The EPP is the family of the political centre-right, whose roots run deep in the history and civilisation of the European continent, and which has pioneered the European project from its inception.

The EPP was founded in Luxembourg on 8 July 1976 on the initiative of Jean Seitlinger; Leo Tindemans, then Prime Minister of Belgium, who became the first President of the EPP; and Wilfried Martens, who later became both President of the EPP and Prime Minister of Belgium.

The European People’s Party (EPP) is a European political party with Christian-democratic, conservative, and liberal-conservative member parties. A transnational organisation, it is composed of other political parties. Founded by primarily Christian-democratic parties in 1976, it has since broadened its membership to include liberal-conservative parties and parties with other centre-right political perspectives.

The EPP has been the largest party in the European Parliament since 1999 and in the European Council since 2002. It is also the largest party in the current European Commission. The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola are from the EPP. Many of the founding fathers of the European Union were also from parties that later formed the EPP. Outside the EU the party also controls a majority in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Our Latin American regional branch has representation in practically the entire continent and counts the ODCA as its main partner. The Christian Democratic Organization of America (ODCA) is an international organization composed of political parties, groups, and associations from North and South America that promote the principles of Christian humanism. Affiliated with the Centrist Democrat International (IDC-CDI), it is a regional partner of the European People’s Party and of regional organizations of Christian Democratic parties in Asia and Africa. Each member party is different, and at times they hold distinct views of Christian democracy itself

The African Regional, officially known as IDC.Africa, is chaired by the Prime Minister of Cape Verde and ex officio Vice-President of the IDC-CDI, Ulisses Correia, and is the only IDC-CDI Regional constituted under its own statutes.

IDC.Africa began its journey at a meeting with several leaders of African parties, which we held in Nouakchott, Mauritania, in June 2004. These were the first steps on the road that has led us to the current African regional organization.

Other meetings followed, in Paris in January 2005, where the draft rules of procedure were presented, which would serve to gradually lay the foundations for the first statutes.

After a few years and many meetings, the statutes of IDC.Africa were officially presented on November 7, 2015, in Praia, Cape Verde , where they were registered with the Ministry of Justice and the other official formalities were carried out.

After the stoppage of activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, we decided to make up for lost time and boost the organization, where it is worth mentioning the high-level meeting we organized in Lisbon on February 24, 2023 where African leaders signed their commitment to unity and democracy in the Lisbon Declaration, After COVID-19 we also decided to reorganize and modernize the statutes, which were signed on October 15, 2022 in Praia, Cape Verde.

After all the legal formalities were completed, they were approved by the Ministry of Justice and published in the Official Gazette on February 28, 2023.

The Centrist Democrat International (IDC-CDI) has steadily expanded its presence and influence across Asia and the Pacific, working to strengthen its network of member parties and promote shared values of democracy, stability, and prosperity throughout the region. Through close cooperation and dialogue, the IDC-CDI supports inclusive governance, sustainable development, and stronger regional integration, fostering an environment where political, economic, and social progress can thrive. By encouraging collaboration between political actors and promoting multilateral approaches to common challenges, the organization plays an active role in supporting peace, strengthening democratic institutions, and advancing prosperity for all. This growing engagement reflects the IDC-CDI’s long-term vision of building bridges, enhancing cooperation, and contributing to a more stable and resilient Asia-Pacific region.

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, former President of Colombia, while the Executive Secretary is Spanish MEP Antonio López-Istúriz, who served as Secretary-General of the EPP.