The Union of the Robert Schuman Institute for Developing Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe (short: Robert Schuman Institute, RSI) is the European level training institution of the European People's Party political family, based in Budapest, Hungary. It was founded in 1995 as the successor of the Christian Democratic Academy for Central and Eastern Europe. The members of the union of RSI are political parties, organisations and foundations and its main activity comprises political and civic education.
The institute is named after Robert Schuman, a French Christian-Democratic politician, former French Prime Minister and Finance Minister, who is also considered one of the "founding fathers" today's European Union.
The founding organisations of RSI The RSI was founded by:Robert Schuman Institute Yearbook, 1996 (Robert Shuman Institute for Developing in Central and Eastern Europe, 1997), page 15
European Union of Christian Democrats The Robert Schuman Foundation Luxembourg The Foundation for European Studies The European People's Party / Christian Democrats (EPP) Centre for Political, Economical and Social Studies (CEPESS), Belgium Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP), Hungary Fondation d'Etudes Européens, international organisation Fondation Robert Schuman, Luxemburg Haza és Haladás Foundation, Hungary Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF), Hungary István Barankovics Foundation, Hungary Lajos Batthyány Foundation, Hungary Lakitelek Foundation, Hungary Partido Popular, Spain Parti Populaire Européen, international organisation Unio Democratica de Catalunya, Spain
Mission The RSI's mission is:
Promoting the idea of a united Europe, the basic values of the EPP and Christian Democracy Supporting the process of democratic transformation and the development of civil societies in Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe Contributing to the development of the EPP sister and co-operating parties by education and training Facilitating the information flow between EU members, accession countries and neighbouring European states Building up a cross-border network based on shared values and political orientation
Members of the Union of the Robert Schuman Institute LIST OF REGULAR MEMBERS Country European People's Party (EPP) EU Robert Schuman Foundation (RSF) Luxembourg Politische Akademie der ÖVP (PolAk) Austria Foundation for a Civic Hungary (SZPMA) Hungary Christen Democratisch Appél, (CDA) The Netherlands Kristdemokraterna Sweden Fondation Robert Schuman, (FRS) France Youth of the European People's Party (YEPP) EU European Union of Christian Democratic Workers (EUCDW) EU European Democrat Students, (EDS) EU European Senior Citizens' Union (ESU) EU Europaisches Zentrum für Arbeitnehmerfragen (EZA) Germany Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania, (RMDSZ) Romania Partido Popular (PP) Spain
LIST OF HONORARY MEMBERS Country Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V) Belgium Croatian Democratic Union of BiH (HDZ BiH) Bosnia and Herzegovina Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) Bulgaria Christian and Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU-CSL) Czech Republic Isamaaliit, Pro Patria Union Estonia Nea Demokratia (ND) Greece MCL – Movimento Cristiano Lavoratori Italy Pavel Shatev Institute Macedonia Kristelig Volkeparti (KrF) Norway Party of the Hungarian Community (MKP) Slovakia Christian Democratic Movement, (KDH) Slovakia Nova Slovenija (NSi) Slovenia Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) Slovenia Democratic Alliance Ukraine
References
http://fidelitas.hu/cikk/fidelitasos_szakmai_program_a_robert_schuman_intezet_nemzetkozi_kepzesen http://www.kas.de/ungarn/hu/about/partners/ http://www.eppgroup.eu/hu/networks http://www.schuman-institute.eu/ http://kicsweden.org/en/our-publications/robert-schuman-institute/
Further reading Thomas Jansen and Steven van Hecke. At Europe's Service: The Origins and Evolution of the European People's Party. (Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag / Centre for European Studies, 2011). Wilfried Martens: Europe: I Struggle, I Overcome. (Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag / Centre for European Studies, 2008). Erhard von der Bank, Kinga Szabó: The Effects of Robert Schuman's Ideas in Today's Europe (2007). Wahl, Jürgen: Magyarok úton az Európai Parlamentbe: milyen munka vár a magyar képviselőkre az Európai Parlamentben? (Robert Schuman Foundation, 2002).