# International Democracy Union

The International Democracy Union (IDU; known as the International Democrat Union until September 2023) is an international alliance of centre-right to right-wing political parties. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, the IDU consists of 84 full and associate members from 65 countries. It is chaired by Stephen Harper, former prime minister of Canada. It has three affiliated international organizations (International Young Democrat Union, International Women's Democracy Union and SME Global ) 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] centre-right policies around the globe". 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.
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.

## Founding

The IDU was founded in London on 24 June 1983. According to Richard V. Allen, to be admitted as a member, a party must qualify as a "mainstream conservative" party influenced by classical liberalism.
The founding declaration was signed by 19 persons:
| Person | Party | Country |
| Alois Mock | Austrian People's Party | Austria |
| Margaret Thatcher | Conservative Party | United Kingdom |
| Helmut Kohl | Christian Democratic Union of Germany | West Germany |
| Franz Josef Strauss | Christian Social Union in Bavaria | West Germany |
| Jacques Chirac | Rally for the Republic | France |
| Andrew Peacock | Liberal Party of Australia | Australia |
| Evangelos Averoff-Tossizza | New Democracy | Greece |
| Manuel Fraga | People's Alliance | Spain |
| Oscar Alzaga | People's Democratic Party | Spain |
| Susanne Wood | New Zealand National Party | New Zealand |
| Glafcos Clerides | Democratic Rally | Cyprus |
| Ilkka Suominen | National Coalition Party | Finland |
| Lucas Pires | CDS – People's Party | Portugal |
| Tatsuo Tanaka | Liberal Democratic Party | Japan |
| Ulf Adelsohn | Moderate Party | Sweden |
| Erik Nielsen | Progressive Conservative Party of Canada | Canada |
| Poul Schlüter | Conservative People's Party | Denmark |
| Jo Benkow | Conservative Party | Norway |
| Frank Fahrenkopf | Republican Party | United States |

## Former members

* Argentina – Justicialist Party
* Bosnia and Herzegovina – Party of Democratic Action
* Bosnia and Herzegovina – Croatian Democratic Union 1990
* Brazil – Democrats
* Bulgaria – Union of Democratic Forces
* Canada – Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
* Dominican Republic – Social Christian Reformist Party
* France – Rally for the Republic
* France – Union for a Popular Movement
* Guatemala – National Advancement Party
* Honduras – National Party of Honduras
* Hungary – Fidesz
* India – Bharatiya Janata Party moved to Asia Pacific Democracy Union
* Japan – Liberal Democratic Party moved to Asia Pacific Democracy Union
* Lebanon – Lebanese Forces
* Lithuania – Homeland Union
* Moldova – Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova
* Montenegro – Movement for Changes
* Nicaragua – Conservative Party
* Portugal – Social Democratic Party
* Russia – Union of Right Forces
* Serbia – Democratic Party of Serbia
* Serbia – United Regions of Serbia
* South Korea – Liberty Korea Party
* Spain – People's Alliance
* Spain – People's Democratic Party

## Chairmen

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party |
| 1 | | William Hague (born 1961) | 19 June 1997 | 10 June 2002 | 4 years, 356 days | Conservative Party of UK |
| 2 | | John Howard (born 1939) | 10 June 2002 | 21 November 2014 | 12 years, 164 days | Liberal Party of Australia |
| 3 | | Sir John Key (born 1961) | 21 November 2014 | 21 February 2018 | 3 years, 92 days | New Zealand National Party |
| 4 | | Stephen Harper (born 1959) | 21 February 2018 | Incumbent | 7 years, 8 days | Conservative Party of Canada |