Atividade Parlamentar Reunião de líderes da Internacional dos Democratas Cristãos
In the quality of Member of the European Parliament, Maria da Graça Carvalho participated in the CDI Leaders Meeting that was held in Rome on the 21 of September. The visit to Rome of the Centrist Democrat International (CDI) group was hosted by Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti on September 21. There was a reception at the Quirinale Palace by the President of the Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano, dinner in the evening and an official reception given by His Sanctity the Pope Benedict XVI in the morning of 22nd. September (see agenda here).
The summit, attended by representatives of 75 member parties, was addressed by Samaras who stated that the member-parties' leaders "all fight for the same cause: European integration [...] but integration with freedom and social market economy principles." Earlier in the day, Samaras had held a meeting with Monti, with whom they discussed current developments in the eurozone, both reaffirming their determination to preserve its integrity.
In addition to the 220 delegates from member parties, the meeting was attended by the Prime Minister of Spain, Mariano Rajoy; the Prime Minister of Ireland, Enda Kenny; the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán; the Prime Minister of Greece, Antonis Samaras; and the Prime Minister of Albania, Sali Berisha. The Prime Minister of Italy,Mario Monti, also attended as special guest. Among others, the President of the European People's Party (EPP), Wilfried Martens and the former President of Lebanon, Amine Jemayel, also participated in the meeting.
Eugenia Tymoshenko, daughter of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenkowho is currently a political prisoner, explained her mother's situation and asked for international support.
The representatives of center and centre-right parties from 75 countries and five heads of government supported measures taken by the EU to overcome the global economic crisis.
The CDI also encouraged Europeans leaders to work for a political union that strives to promote effectiveness, transparency and democratic control of the European institutions, so that Europe becomes a key player in solving global problems.
The CDI also elected its new Presidency, which is composed as follows:
President: Pier Ferdinando Casini (UDC, Italy); Executive Secretary: Antonio López-Istúriz (EPP Secretary General, Spain); Vice-Presidents: Wilfried Martens (EPP President, Belgium); Mariano Rajoy (PP, Spain); Antonis Samaras (ND, Greece); Viktor Orbán (Fidesz, Hungary); Peter Hintze (CDU, Germany); Alf Svensson (KD, Sweden); Cesar Maia (Democrat, Brazil); Lourdes Flores (PPC, Peru); Gustavo Madero (PAN, Mexico); Federico Antún (PRSC, Dominican Republic); Amine Gemayel (Kataeb, Lebanon); Abdeslam Bouchouareb (RND, Algeria); Mouknass Naha (UDP, Mauritania); Edgar Angara (Laban, Philippines); Honorary Vice President: Ofelia Acevedo.
The International Center Democratic Party was founded in 1961 under the name of World Union of Christian Democrats (WUCD). It was created by the New International Teams, predecessor organization to the European Union of Christian Democrats (EUCD), the Christian Democrat Organization of America (CDOA) and the Christian Democratic Union of Central Europe (CDUCE). In 1999 it adopted its present name, Centrist Democrat International.