Political Parties

A central feature of any democracy are political parties that serve as vehicles by which citizens can come together freely to define their political and policy aspirations and campaign for public office. NDI is a nonpartisan organization and works with parties of many ideological persuasions to help foster open, accountable and responsive political systems.

As part of that effort, NDI maintains relationships with party internationals, institutes, foundations, groups and other organizations that span the political spectrum. These include:

Party Internationals

European Parties

European parties bring together national political parties that share common ideological and policy goals. The European parties provide a common voice for their national counterparts on the European stage.

European People’s Party
The European People’s Party(EPP) brings together Christian democrat, conservative, mainstream center and center-right European national parties.
Party of European Socialists
The Party of European Socialists (PES) is comprised of socialist, social democratic and labor European national parties.
European Liberal Democrats and Reform Party
The European Liberal Democrats and Reform Party(ELDR) unites liberal, democratic and reform European national parties.

European Party Groups

European party groups represent European parties in the European Parliament on the basis the European party affiliation of members of the European Parliament (MEPs). The party groups promote the views and policies of their respective European parties.

European People’s Party - European Democrats (EPP-ED) Group
The European People’s Party - European Democrats (EPP-ED) Group brings together MEPs from Christian Democrat, conservative, mainstream center and center-right parties and is the largest political group in the European Parliament.
Party of European Socialists (PES) Group
The Party of European Socialists (PES) Group represents MEPs from socialist, social democratic and labor parties and is the second largest political group in the European Parliament.
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Group
The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Group unifies MEPs from liberal, democratic and reform parties. The group is the third largest political group in the European Parliament.

Other

Union for Europe of the Nations
Union for Europe of the Nations(UEN) brings together MEPs united in the belief that the European Union can be built and prosper only if tradition, sovereignty, democracy and the identity of European peoples are respected.
Club de Madrid
The Club de Madrid is an independent organization dedicated to strengthening democracy around the world by drawing on the unique experience and resources of its Members – 70 democratic former heads of state and government. In partnership with other organizations and governments that share its democracy-promotion goals, the Club de Madrid provides peer to peer counsel, strategic support and technical advice to leaders and institutions working toward democratic transition and consolidation.<
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is an intergovernmental organization that supports sustainable democracy worldwide. Its objective is to strengthen democratic institutions and processes. International IDEA’s areas of expertise include constitution-building and electoral processes, political parties, democracy and gender issues, and democracy assessments. The Institute offers an extensive knowledge base as well as strong assistance to democratic reform.
Centre for Democratic Institutions
The Centre for Democratic Institutions (CDI) responds to the needs of developing countries in the field of good governance and democratic institutions. The centre was established as an Australian Government initiative and receives its core funding through the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). Its geographic focus is the Asia-Pacific region. CDI is based in the Crawford School of Economics and Government at The Australian National University and draws from the considerable intellectual capital of Australia's leading graduate tertiary institution.
Olof Palme International Center
The Olof Palme International Center works with international development co-operation and the forming of public opinion surrounding international political and security issues. The Palme Center was established in 1992 by the Swedish Social Democratic Party, the Trade Union Confederation (LO) and the Cooperative Union (KF). Today the Palme Center has 28 member organizations within the labour movement. The centre works in the spirit of the late Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, reflected by the famous quotation: "Politics is wanting something. Social Democratic politics is wanting change."
Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats
Founded in 1993, the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) is a regional alliance of liberal and democratic political parties in Asia. CALD provides a forum for the sustained discussion of the changing developments occurring in the respective countries and the region as a whole and assesses the possibilities for liberal solutions in Asian democracies.
Friedrich Ebert Foundation (Social Democrats) Germany / Washington, D.C.
The Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) promotes development cooperation, international dialogue, research and consulting and political education in support of the ideas and basic values of social democracy. The FES is affiliated with the Social Democratic Party and works to strengthen democracy in Germany as well as in over 100 countries worldwide.
Friedrich Naumann Foundation (Liberals) Germany / Washington, D.C.
Named after the liberal scholar and politician Friedrich Naumann, this foundation has worked to strengthen liberalism since its founding in 1958. It currently works in about 60 countries to strengthen democratic structures, reduce state interventionism and advocate decentralization and privatization. The Washington, D.C., office carries out its Transatlantic Dialogue and Forum on Sustainable Development programs.
Hanns Seidel Foundation (Bavaria-based Christian Social Union) Germany / Washington, D.C.
Established in 1967, the Hanns Seidel Foundation conducts political education with the goal of teaching citizens how to participate in the democratic process. The foundation is linked to the Bavaria-based Christian Social Union.
Heinrich Böll Foundation (Greens) Germany / Washington, D.C.
The Heinrich Böll Foundation is associated with the Green Party and conducts education programs within Germany and around the world to promote democratic involvement, socio-political activism and cross-cultural understanding. The foundation is based on four main values: ecology, democracy, solidarity and non-violence.
Konrad Adenauer Foundation (Christian Democrats) Germany / Washington, D.C.
The Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) is associated with the Christian Democratic movement. The KAS offers political education, research for political projects, including research on the history of Christian Democracy, and grants and scholarships. The KAS also supports and encourages development-policy cooperation.
Westminster Foundation for Democracy
The Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) aims to help “establish and strengthen pluralist democratic institutions, particularly political parties, in countries where these are absent, of recent foundation, or in need of further encouragement and development.” Founded in 1992, WFD is an independent public body sponsored by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, from which it receives annual funding. Half of the annual grant is distributed between the three major United Kingdom (UK) political parties (the Conservative Party, the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats) and smaller UK parties on a proportional basis. The other half is allocated by the Foundation to national and international organizations whose work supports WFD’s program priorities.
Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy
The Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) was founded in 2000 by the Dutch political parties represented in the House of Representatives, with the mandate to support the development and/or consolidation of political parties in young democracies. The inter-party organization—“an institute of political parties for political parties”— works in a non-partisan and inclusive manner with political parties in Asia, Latin America and especially Africa.

The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.