After the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, the Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP) was re-established with the help of the Dutch Christian Democratic Appeal and the Hungarian-Dutch politician, Gábor Dzingis. To build its influence in eastern European countries, the European People’s Party created the Robert Schuman Institute to provide candidate and party training and help build institutions with the center-right.
The organization received funding from the CDA/Eduardo Frei Foundation (the Netherlands), Konrad Adenauer Foundation (Germany), and Hanns Seidel Foundation. The KDNP provided the office space including heating, electricity and cleaning for the headquarters of the organization.
The Robert Schuman Institute served as the initial connection between the EPP and former Eastern Bloc countries, with Fidesz, KDNP, and the Hungarian Democratic Forum all participating in its events. This also helped prepare these parties for eventual membership into the EPP as part of the European Union accession process.
