Club of Madrid

The Club de Madrid is an independent non-profit organization created to promote democracy and change in the international community. Composed of 95 regular members, 64 of whom are former presidents and 39 of whom are former prime ministers (some are both)[1] from 65 countries, the Club de Madrid is the world's largest forum of former heads of state and government.

Club of Madrid
MottoDemocracy That Delivers
Formation2001
HeadquartersMadrid, Spain
President
Vice Presidents
Websitewww.clubmadrid.org

Among its main goals are the strengthening of democratic institutions and counselling on the resolution of political conflicts in two key areas: democratic leadership and governance and response to crisis and post-crisis situations.

The Club de Madrid works together with governments, inter-governmental organizations, civil society, scholars and representatives from the business world, to encourage dialogue in order to foster social and political change. The Club de Madrid also searches for effective methods to provide technical advice and recommendations to nations that are taking steps to establish democracy.

Composition

As of March 2014, there are 95 full Members, all of whom are previous government officials with full voting rights. The Club also has institutional members and foundations – those who belong to private and public organizations that share similar democratic objectives, including FRIDE, the Gorbachev Foundation of North America (GFNA), both original sponsors of the founding conference in 2001, the Madrid City Council, the Regional Government of Madrid, and the Government of Spain. Additionally, there are six honorary members (e.g. Kofi Annan, Aung San Suu Kyi) and a number of fellows, who are experts on democratic changeover.

The Club is based in Madrid (Spain), although meetings are held worldwide. Currently, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, the former President of Latvia (1999–2007), is the organization's president, and it has two vice presidents: Jenny Shipley (New Zealand) and Jorge Fernando Quiroga (Bolivia). The former president of the Club of Madrid is Wim Kok (2009–2013).

The Club was created from an event that was held in October 2001 in Madrid, a four-day Conference on Democratic Transition and Consolidation (CDTC). This event brought together 35 world leaders, over 100 esteemed academics and policy specialists from Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa to discuss ideas and means of implementation from both objective and subjective perspectives. The conference discussed eight main topics:

  • Constitutional design
  • The Legislative branch and its relation with the Executive branch
  • The Judicial branch and its relation with Executive branch
  • Anti-corruption procedures
  • The role of the armed forces and security forces
  • Reform of the state bureaucracy
  • Strengthening of political and social pluralism and of political parties
  • Economic and social conditions

Structure and organization

The Club de Madrid's primary asset is its membership, which includes 95 distinguished former heads of state and government of democratic nations. The comparative advantage of the Club de Madrid is based on the following key assets:

  • Personal experience and status of its Members
  • Access to the world's leading experts on democracy
  • Specialization in democratic transition and consolidation issues
  • Practical approach of its activities, through the implementation of projects with tangible results

Full Members are members of the Club de Madrid who provide their personal and political experience as former Heads of State and Government. Their appointment, based on a proposal from the Board of Directors, is approved by the General Assembly.

Direct exchanges with current leaders of countries in the process of democratic transition on a peer-to-peer basis, and the Member's ability to deliver the right message at the right time, are two of the major assets of the Club de Madrid. In this sense, the Members of the Club de Madrid can also help focus much needed international attention on targeted countries and leverage the work of other institutions trying to promote democracy.

The Club's members are supported by a network of world-class experts who work together to offer assistance on a range of democratic reform issues. The Club de Madrid is composed of four executive and advisory bodies:

  • General Assembly
  • Board of Directors
  • General Secretariat
  • Advisory Committee

Funding sources

The Club is a non-profit organisation and members offer their services on a pro bono basis, It exists financially on donations which are used to support a permanent secretariat and fund some specific project. The Club's accounts are audited annually by an external organisation.

The Club of Madrid Foundation (USA)

The Club of Madrid Foundation Inc. (COMFI) is a grant-making foundation that has US 501(c)(3) tax exemption status. It exists to raise funds in support of the Club's charitable and educational activities.

COMFI is independent and not controlled by the Club itself, but solely by a four-person Board of Directors, each of whom resides in the US.

Members

Several members of the Club played prominent roles in the diplomatic and military proceedings aimed at ending the wars in the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s:

List of current members

Name Age Nation Party Office(s) held
Valdas Adamkus94 Lithuania NonePresident of Lithuania (1998–2003, 2004–2009)
Esko Aho66 Finland CentrePrime Minister of Finland (1991–1995)
Martti Ahtisaari83 Finland Social DemocraticPresident of Finland (1994–2000)
Óscar Arias80 Costa Rica PLNPresident of Costa Rica (1986–1990, 2006–2010)
Hamadi Jebali71 Tunisia Ennahdha (until 2014)

None (since 2014)

Head of Government of Tunisia (2011–2013)
Mehdi Jomaa58 Tunisia None (until 2017)

Tunisian Alternative (since 2017)

Head of Government of Tunisia (2014–2015)
José María Aznar67 Spain PPPresident of the Government of Spain (1996–2004)
Michelle Bachelet69 Chile SocialistPresident of Chile (2006–2010, 2014–2018)
Executive Director of UN Women (2010–2013)
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2018–)
Rupiah Banda83 Zambia MMDPresident of Zambia (2008–2011)
Carl Bildt71 Sweden ModeratePrime Minister of Sweden (1991–1994)
High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina (1995–1997)
Valdis Birkavs78 Latvia LCPrime Minister of Latvia (1993–1994)
Kjell Magne Bondevik73 Norway Christian DemocraticPrime Minister of Norway (1997–2000, 2001–2005)
Gro Harlem Brundtland81 Norway LabourPrime Minister of Norway (1981, 1986–1989, 1990–1996)
Director-General of the World Health Organization (1998–2003)
John Bruton73 Ireland Fine GaelTaoiseach of Ireland (1994–1997)
EU Ambassador to the United States (2004–2009)
Jerzy Buzek80 Poland Civic PlatformPrime Minister of Poland (1997–2001)
President of the European Parliament (2009–2012)
Felipe Calderón58 Mexico PANPresident of Mexico (2006–2012)
Micheline Calmy-Rey75  Switzerland Social DemocraticMember of the Federal Council (2003–2011)
(President in 2007 and 2011)
Kim Campbell73 Canada Progressive ConservativePrime Minister of Canada (1993)
Fernando Henrique Cardoso89 Brazil Social DemocracyPresident of Brazil (1995–2003)
Aníbal Cavaco Silva81 Portugal Social DemocraticPrime Minister of Portugal (1985–1995)
President of Portugal (2006–2016)
Joaquim Chissano81 Mozambique FRELIMOPresident of Mozambique (1986–2005)
Jean Chrétien87 Canada LiberalPrime Minister of Canada (1993–2003)
Bill Clinton74 United States DemocraticPresident of the United States (1993–2001)
Philip Dimitrov65 Bulgaria SDSPrime Minister of Bulgaria (1991–1992)
Luísa Diogo62 Mozambique FRELIMOPrime Minister of Mozambique (2004–2010)
Leonel Fernández67 Dominican Republic PLDPresident of the Dominican Republic (1996–2000, 2004–2012)
José María Figueres66 Costa Rica PLNPresident of Costa Rica (1994–1998)
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir90 Iceland NonePresident of Iceland (1980–1996)
Vicente Fox78 Mexico PANPresident of Mexico (2000–2006)
Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle78 Chile Christian DemocraticPresident of Chile (1994–2000)
Yasuo Fukuda84 Japan Liberal DemocraticPrime Minister of Japan (2007–2008)
César Gaviria73 Colombia LiberalPresident of Colombia (1990–1994)
Secretary General of the Organization of American States (1994–2004)
Amine Pierre Gemayel79 Lebanon Kata'ebPresident of Lebanon (1982–1988)
Felipe González78 Spain PSOEPresident of the Government of Spain (1982–1996)
Mikhail Gorbachev89 Russia
 Soviet Union
Communist (until 1991)General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1985–1991)
Chairman of the Supreme Soviet/President of the Soviet Union (1988–1991)
Alfred Gusenbauer60 Austria Social DemocraticChancellor of Austria (2007–2008)
António Guterres71 Portugal SocialistPrime Minister of Portugal (1995–2002)
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (2005–2016)
UN Secretary-General (2016–present)
Tarja Halonen77 Finland Social DemocraticPresident of Finland (2000–2012)
Han Seung-soo84 South Korea SaenuriPrime Minister of South Korea (2008–2009)
Osvaldo Hurtado81 Ecuador Christian DemocraticPresident of Ecuador (1981–1984)
Alain Juppé75 France UMPPrime Minister of France (1995–1997)
Horst Köhler77 Germany Christian DemocraticPresident of Germany (2004–2010)
Alpha Oumar Konaré75 Mali ADEMA-PASJPresident of Mali (1992–2002)
Chairman of the AU Commission (2003–2008)
Milan Kucan80 Slovenia
 Yugoslavia
Communist (until 1990)
None (since 1990)
President of Slovenia (1991–2002)
John Kufuor82 Ghana NPPPresident of Ghana (2001–2009)
Chairman of the AU (2007–2008)
Chandrika Kumaratunga75 Sri Lanka SLFPPresident of Sri Lanka (1994–2005)
Aleksander Kwasniewski66 Poland None (since 1995)President of Poland (1995–2005)
Luis Alberto Lacalle79 Uruguay PNPresident of Uruguay (1990–1995)
Ricardo Lagos82 Chile PPDPresident of Chile (2000–2006)
Zlatko Lagumdžija65 Bosnia and Herzegovina Social DemocraticChairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2001–2002)
Lee Hong-koo65 South Korea NKP South KoreaPrime Minister of South Korea (1994–1995)
Thabo Mbeki78 South Africa ANCPresident of South Africa (1999–2008)
Rexhep Meidani76 Albania SocialistPresident of Albania (1997–2002)
Benjamin Mkapa82 Tanzania CCMPresident of Tanzania (1995–2005)
Festus Mogae81 Botswana BDPPresident of Botswana (1998–2008)
Olusegun Obasanjo83 Nigeria PDPHead of the Federal Military Government of Nigeria (1976–1979)
President of Nigeria (1999–2007)
Roza Otunbayeva70 Kyrgyzstan Social Democratic (2007–2010)President of Kyrgyzstan (2010–2011)
Anand Panyarachun88 Thailand NonePrime Minister of Thailand (1991–1992)
George Papandreou68 Greece SocialistPrime Minister of Greece (2009–2011)
Andrés Pastrana66 Colombia ConservativePresident of Colombia (1998–2002)
P.J. Patterson85 Jamaica PNP (until 2011)Prime Minister of Jamaica (1992–2006)
Romano Prodi81 Italy DemocraticPresident of the European Commission (1999–2004)
President of the Council of Ministers of Italy (1996–1998, 2006–2008)
Jorge Quiroga60 Bolivia PODEMOSPresident of Bolivia (2001–2002)
Fidel V. Ramos92 Philippines LakasPresident of the Philippines (1992–1998)
José Manuel Ramos-Horta71 East Timor NonePrime Minister of East Timor (2006–2007)
President of East Timor (2007–2012)
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen77 Denmark Social DemocratsPrime Minister of Denmark (1993–2001)
Mary Robinson76 Ireland NonePresident of Ireland (1990–97)
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997–2002)
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero60 Spain PSOEPresident of the Government of Spain (2004–2011)
Petre Roman74 Romania FSN (1989–1991)Prime Minister of Romania (1989–1991)
Jorge Sampaio81 Portugal SocialistPresident of Portugal (1996–2006)
Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada90 Bolivia MNRPresident of Bolivia (1993–1997, 2002–2003)
Julio María Sanguinetti85 Uruguay PCPresident of Uruguay (1985–1990, 1995–2000)
Jennifer Mary Shipley69 New Zealand NationalPrime Minister of New Zealand (1997–1999)
Fuad Siniora77 Lebanon FMPrime Minister of Lebanon (2005–2009)
Hanna Suchocka74 Poland UDPrime Minister of Poland (1992–1993)
Boris Tadic63 Serbia NDS-GreensPresident of Serbia (2004–2012)
Alejandro Toledo74 Peru PPPresident of Peru (2001–2006)
Martín Torrijos57 Panama PRDPresident of Panama (2004–2009)
Danilo Türk68 Slovenia NonePresident of Slovenia (2007–2012)
Cassam Uteem79 Mauritius MMMPresident of Mauritius (1992–2002)
Guy Verhofstadt67 Belgium VLDPrime Minister of Belgium (1999–2008)
Vaira Vike-Freiberga83 Latvia NonePresident of Latvia (1999–2007)
Ernesto Zedillo69 Mexico PRIPresident of Mexico (1994–2000)

Member statistics

Regional background of members:

Political affiliation of members:

Office held (some members have held both):

List of honorary members

Name Age Nation Party Office(s) held
Aung San Suu Kyi 75 Myanmar NLDState Counsellor of Myanmar (2016–present)
Jimmy Carter96 United States DemocraticPresident of the United States (1977–81)
Enrique V. Iglesias90 Uruguay
 Spain
(unknown)President of the Inter-American Development Bank (1998–2005)
Secretary General of the Iberoamerican General Secretariat (2005–13)
Jacques Delors95 France SocialistPresident of the European Commission (1985–95)
Javier Solana78 Spain SocialistSecretary General of NATO (1995–99) and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (1999–2009)

List of members of the constituent foundations

Name Age Nation Party Office(s) held
Diego Hidalgo78 Spain (unknown)Founder and President of, and donor to, Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior (FRIDE)
Founding Member and Senior Fellow of the Gorbachev Foundation of North America (GFNA)[3]
T. Anthony Jones(unknown)(unknown) (unknown)Vice-President and Executive Director of GFNA[4]
George Matthews(unknown) United States (unknown)Chairman and co-founder of GFNA[5]
José Manuel Romero Moreno80 Spain (unknown)Vice President of FRIDE[6]

List of former members (deceased)

Name Died Nation Party Office(s) held
Sadiq al-MahdiNovember 26, 2020(2020-11-26) (aged 84) Sudan UmmaPrime Minister of Sudan (1966–1967, 1986–1989)
Javier Pérez de CuéllarMarch 4, 2020(2020-03-04) (aged 100) Peru UPPSecretary-General of the United Nations (1982–1991)
President of the Council of Ministers of Peru (2000–2001)
Bacharuddin Jusuf HabibieSeptember 11, 2019(2019-09-11) (aged 83) Indonesia GolkarPresident of Indonesia (1998–1999)
Belisario BetancurDecember 7, 2018(2018-12-07) (aged 95) Colombia ConservativePresident of Colombia (1982–1986)
Wim KokOctober 20, 2018(2018-10-20) (aged 80) Netherlands LabourPrime Minister of the Netherlands (1994–2002)
Kofi AnnanAugust 18, 2018(2018-08-18) (aged 80) Ghana NoneSecretary-General of the United Nations (1997–2006)
Álvaro ArzúApril 27, 2018(2018-04-27) (aged 72) Guatemala UnionistPresident of Guatemala (1996–2000)
Mayor of Guatemala City (2004–2018)
Ruud LubbersFebruary 14, 2018(2018-02-14) (aged 78) Netherlands Christian DemocraticPrime Minister of the Netherlands (1982–1994)
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (2001–2005)
Ketumile MasireJune 22, 2017(2017-06-22) (aged 91) Botswana BDPPresident of Botswana (1980–1998)
Helmut Kohl20170616June 16, 2017(2017-06-16) (aged 87) Germany
 West Germany
Christian DemocraticChancellor of West Germany (1982–1990)
Chancellor of Germany (1990–1998)
James Mancham20170108January 8, 2017(2017-01-08) (aged 77) Seychelles DemocraticPresident of Seychelles (1976–1977)
Mário Soares20170107January 7, 2017(2017-01-07) (aged 92) Portugal SocialistPrime Minister of Portugal (1976–1978, 1983–1985)
President of Portugal (1986–1996)
António Mascarenhas Monteiro20160916September 16, 2016(2016-09-16) (aged 72) Cape Verde MPDPresident of Cape Verde (1991–2001)
Abdul-kareem al-Eryani20151108November 8, 2015(2015-11-08) (aged 81) Yemen
 North Yemen
GPCPrime Minister of North Yemen (1980–1983)
Prime Minister of Yemen (1998–2001)
Adolfo Suárez20140323March 23, 2014(2014-03-23) (aged 81) Spain
MN (until 1977)
UCD (1977–82)
President of the Government of Spain (1976–81)
Tadeusz Mazowiecki20131028October 28, 2013(2013-10-28) (aged 86) Poland
PR Poland
KO "S" (1980–91)
UD (1991–94)
Prime Minister of Poland (1989–91)
Inder Kumar Gujral20121130November 30, 2012(2012-11-30) (aged 92) India Janata DalPrime Minister of India (1997–98)
Václav Havel20111218December 18, 2011(2011-12-18) (aged 75) Czech Republic
 Czechoslovakia
OF (1989–93)
None (1993–2004)
President of Czechoslovakia (1989–92)
President of the Czech Republic (1993–2003)
Ferenc Mádl20110529May 29, 2011(2011-05-29) (aged 80) Hungary NonePresident of Hungary (2000–05)
Raúl Alfonsín20090331March 31, 2009(2009-03-31) (aged 82) Argentina UCRPresident of Argentina (1983–89)
Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo20080503May 3, 2008(2008-05-03) (aged 82) Spain UCDPresident of the Government of Spain (1981–82)
Lennart Meri20060314March 14, 2006(2006-03-14) (aged 76) Estonia
 Soviet Union
Isamaa (since 1992)President of Estonia (1992–2001)
Valentín Paniagua20061016October 16, 2006(2006-10-16) (aged 70) Peru ACPresident of Peru (2000–01)

See also

References

  1. The count of former Prime Ministers includes the former Chancellor of West Germany and former Chancellor of Austria as well as the former Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and former Taoiseach of Ireland.
  2. Warsaw Voice Poland Recognizes Kosovo Archived 2010-04-12 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Diego Hidalgo". Club de Madrid. Archived from the original on 8 November 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  4. "Anthony Jones". Club de Madrid. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  5. "George Matthews". Club de Madrid. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  6. "José Manuel Romero Moreno". Club de Madrid. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
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