THE INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRATIC UNION: A CONSERVATIVE TRANSNATIONAL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85T01058R000303190001-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 28, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: July 23, 1985
• Content Type: REPORT

A
Memorandum for: The Record
The attached memorandum was
requested by
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copies were given to the Vice President,
one to the Secretary of State, and one
to the Secretary of Defense.
23 July 1985
EURA
Office of European Analysis
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Eupin 8r-foI33
State Dept. review completed
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Central Intelligence Agency
23 July 1985
The International Democratic Union:
A Conservative Transnational
Summary
The International Democratic Union, a two-
year-old conservative grouping heavily influenced
by its European members, works with limited
political power and a small budget to strengthen
democracy and Western security and combat
terrorism, drug abuse, and youth unemployment.
The IDU has had little success in attracting
members from developing regions of the world and
its influence there is marginal. The organization
supports basic US foreign policy objectives in
Central America and in the arms control arena,
despite having some members from neutral states.
During its meeting this week in Washington, it is
likely to emphasize the need for broader US-West
European understanding and the desirability of
coordina toward the Soviet Bloc and
China. ~ 7
The International Democratic Union: A Conservative Transnational
The International Democratic Union (IDU) is the youngest and
most conservative of transnational political groupings. It was
This memorandum was prepared byl lof the Office
of European Analysis. Questions and comments may be addressed to
Chief of the European Issues Division,
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founded in 1983 to spread conservative beliefs and values beyond
Europe's borders and to counteract the activities of the
Socialist International (SI) in toe Third World. The IDU, with
member parties from 17 countries, is the umbrella organization
of the European Democratic Union (EDU) and the Pacific Democrat
Union (PDU), established in 1978 and 1981 respectively. Despite
its international aspirations, the IDU is essentially a European
organization around the EDU core. Like other internationals, the
IDU has limited political power, although party leaders--
particularly those in opposition--value it because media coverage
of its activities publicizes heir policy positions and enhances
their prestige.
Activities and Funding
Between biennial conferences, various committees meet
frequently to discuss and coordinate policy on a wide range of
issues. The IDU also sponsors seminars and factfinding missions
to help formulate policy toward the world's trouble spots, such
as Central America and the Middle East. The highest
decisionmaking body of the IDU is the biennial party leaders
conference, which starts in Washington this Thursday (25 July) at
the invitation of the Republican Party. The conference is likely
to focus on issues of special concern to IDU members, such as the
strengthening of democracy and human rights, Western security,
internat' al terrorism, drug abuse, and youth unemployment.
Funds come from member contributions. European parties
provide one-half of the $100,000 annual budget, and the US
Republican Party and the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party share
in funding the other half. The IDU's European affiliate, the
EDU, has a separate and slightly larger budget. Among the IDU's
European members, according to diplomatic reports, the West
German CDU/CSU and the British Tories carry the heaviest
4:,- -Z -, L._--3 --
Global Reach
The IDU's attempts to increase its profile in the Third
World have had little success. The organization has acquired no
members in Africa, and the first Latin American members--the
Colombian Conservative Party and the Jamaican Labour Party--will
be admitted this week at the conference in Washington. There are
several reasons for the IDU's difficulties in developing areas:
* See Appendix for member countries and officers of the IDU.
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-- The conservatives' emphasis on a free market economy has
less appeal in modernizing countries than the Socialist
International's "statist" orientation. Moreover, the
SI's considerably larger budget allows it to give more
financial support-to current and prospective members.
-- In Latin America, the IDU competes directly with the
Christian Democratic International (CDI) for the
allegiance of the region's Christian Democratic
parties. Latin American Christian Democrats hesitate to
cooperate with the generally more rightwing parties that
belong to the IDU for fear that such an association will
hurt their electoral chances and their ability to form
coalitions with center-left parties. (Similar concerns
have also prevented the Christian Democratic parties in
Italy and the Benelux countries from joining the IDU.)
-- The IDU insists that future associates must support
pluralistic democracy, which tends to limit membership
to areas of stability. In more volatile regions,
conservative parties may resist this demand in favor of
"
maintaining order."
The IDU's lack of influence in the Third World may lead it
to seek limited cooperation with the SI, particularly in Central
America. Mock reportedly believes that the IDU and EDU could
complement Socialist International activities in areas where they
s upport mod-4
F
e F_ I
e
orc
Solidarity with the United States
The IDU supports basic US foreign policy objectives.
Despite having members from neutral countries, the IDU is
strongly pro-Western and anti-Soviet. Chairman Alois Mock of
Austria, who also heads the EDU, has firmly rejected a policy of
equidistance between the superpowers, arguing that Soviet
expansionist goals pose the greatest threat to world stability.
The IDU/EDU has emphasized arms control, but has also stressed
the West's need to counter the Soviet military buildup. The
organization, therefore, has endorsed NATO modernization 25X1
programs, particularly INF deployment, and the "zero option" in
the INF arms control talks. The IDU, moreover, has blamed the
lack of pro ress at the MBFR talks on "Soviet intransigence."
F
The IDU's views on Central America also closely parallel
those of the US Government:
-- The first meeting of the Standing Committee on Foreign
I I
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Affairs in Canberra in 1983 issued a statement
condemning Soviet, Cuban, and Nicaraguan activities in
the region and endorsing the Contadora process.
IDU observers at the Salvadoran and Nicaraguan elections
praised the democratic and social progress in El
Salvador and criticized the Sandinistas' continuing
slide toward totalitarianism.
IDU chairman Mock, after a factfinding trip to Central
America in February, supported the conclusions of the
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Prospects
The IDU probably will concentrate on strengthening
cooperation among conservative parties in industrialized
regions. It is likely to emphasize closer ties with both major
US political parties to deepen American-West European 25X1
understanding and coordinate policy toward the East. The IDU and
its European affiliate may also seek greater contact with the 25X1
Communist Bloc. As EDU chairman, Mock visited China in 1981
Mock apparently
thin s that such trips provide an important opportunity to point
out that conservatives as well as socialists are able to work
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Appendix
Members of the International Democratic Union
Austra
Austri
lia
a
Liberal Party (LP)
Austrian People's Par
ty
(
OVP)
Canada
P
rogressive Conservat
iv
e
Party (PCP)
Cyprus
Denmar
Finlan
k
d
D
C
C
emocratic Rally (DIS
onservative Party (K
onservative Party (K
Y)
F)
OK
)
France
R
ally for the Republi
c
(R
PR)
Germany
C
hristian Democratic
Un
io
n (CDU)
Greece
Japan
C
N
L
hristian Social Unio
ew Democracy (ND)
iberal Democratic Pa
n
rt
(C
y
SU)
(LDP)
New Zea
Norway
land
N
C
ational Party (NP)
onservative Party (H
)
Portuga
l
S
ocial Democratic Cen
te
r
(CDS)
Spain
P
P
opular Alliance (AP)
opular Democratic Pa
rt
y
(PDP)
Sweden
--
M
oderate Coalition (M
S)
United
Kingdom
--
C
onservative Party (C
P)
United
States
--
R
epublican Party (RP)
Associate Members
Malta -- Nationalist Party (PN)
European Democrat Students
European Union of Women
European Medium and Small Business Union
International Young Democrat Union
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IDU/EDU/PDU Officers
Chairmen
IDU/EDU -- Alois Mock of the Austrian People's Party
PDU -- Brian Talboys of the New Zealand National Party
Vice-Chairmen
Ulf Adelsohn, Sweden
Richard V. Allen, USA
Sir John Atwill, Australia
Jacques Chirac, France
John Selwyn Gummer, United Kingdom
Susumu Nikaido, Japan
Franz Josef Strauss, Germany
Treasurer
Allan Lawrence, Canada
Executive Secretary
Scott Hamilton, United Kingdom
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Distribution: The International Democratic Union:
A Conservative Transnational
Orig - PDB
1 - DDI Registry
1 - NIO/WE
4 - IMC/CB
1 - PES
1 - D/EURA
2 - EURA Production
1 - EURA/EI
2 - EURA/EI/PS
1 - Author
DDI/EURA/EI/PS/
k23Ju185)
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