POROSHENKO’S PARTY GOT MEMBERSHIP IN THE INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRAT UNION

The European Solidarity Party has received the status of Observer Member in the International Democrat Union.

The leader of the party, the fifth President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, announced this on his Facebook page.

“A very important decision for our party, its strengthening and international positions! European Solidarity has received Observer Member status in the International Democrat Union as the first step towards full membership in this influential global political family,” Poroshenko wrote.

The International Democrat Union is a platform that promotes democracy and center-right politics around the world. The founders of the IDU were the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Margaret Thatcher, then-Vice President of the United States George H. W. Bush, the Mayor of Paris and later the President of France Jacques Chirac, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and many other party leaders.

Today, the organization includes more than 80 parties from more than 60 countries around the world. Among the member parties: the Republican Party (USA), the Christian Democratic Union (Germany), the Conservative Party (UK). The organization is headed by former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

European Solidarity applied for IDU membership in the summer of 2019. According to the rules, the candidate party must receive the political support of one of the parties that is already a member of the organization. Such support was provided by the Swedish Moderaterna party.

On July 29, 2020, an online meeting of IDU members was held to consider applications for membership of candidate parties. The meeting, chaired by Stephen Harper, was attended by more than 70 participants from around the world, including Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze and Virginia Dronova.

During her speech in support of European Solidarity, Eva Gustavsson, a representative of Moderaterna party, in particular, condemned the political persecution in Ukraine of the party’s Chairman, the fifth President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.

IDU members voted unanimously for the membership of the European Solidarity Party in the IDU (the first stage of membership – Observer Member). The party is recommended for receiving full membership during the IDU Summit in the spring of 2021.

“I am deeply grateful to the President, former Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper, all members of the Democrat Union, partners in the European People’s Party who supported our accession unanimously, and especially to our Swedish friends. We continue to strengthen the international unity and solidarity of the world with Ukraine in the interests of democracy, peace and security!” Petro Poroshenko emphasized.