Editing Union for a Popular Movement (section)

==History==
===Background===
Since the 1980s, the political groups of the parliamentary right have joined forces around the values of [[economic liberalism]] and the [[European integration|building of Europe]]. Their rivalries had contributed to their defeat in the [[1981 French legislative election|1981]] and [[1988 French legislative election|1988]] legislative elections.

Before the [[1993 French legislative election|1993 legislative election]], the [[Gaullism|Gaullist]] [[Rally for the Republic]] (RPR) and the centrist [[Union for French Democracy]] (UDF) formed an electoral alliance, the [[Union for France]] (UPF). However, in the [[1995 French presidential election|1995 presidential campaign]], they were both divided between followers of [[Jacques Chirac]], who was eventually elected, and supporters of Prime Minister [[Edouard Balladur]]. After their defeat in the [[1997 French legislative election|1997 legislative election]], the RPR and UDF created the [[Alliance for France]] in order to coordinate the actions of their parliamentary groups.

===Foundation and early years===
Before the [[2002 French presidential election|2002 presidential campaign]], the supporters of President [[Jacques Chirac]], divided in three centre-right parliamentary parties, founded an association named '''Union on the Move''' (''Union en mouvement'').<ref name="ump-history">{{cite web|url= http://www.france-politique.fr/histoire-ump.htm|publisher= France politique|title= chronologie UMP|url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090619070817/http://www.france-politique.fr/histoire-ump.htm|archive-date= 19 June 2009|df= dmy-all}}</ref> After Chirac's re-election, in order to contest the [[2002 French legislative election|legislative election]] jointly, the '''Union for the Presidential Majority''' (''Union pour la majorité présidentielle'') was created. It was renamed "Union for a Popular Movement" and as such established as a permanent organisation.<ref name="ump-history"/>

Various parties, such as the Gaullist-conservative [[Rally for the Republic]] (RPR), the [[conservative liberalism|conservative-liberal]] party [[Liberal Democracy (France)|Liberal Democracy]] (DL), a sizeable portion of the [[Union for French Democracy]] (UDF),<ref name="EthridgeHandelman2009">{{cite book|author1=Marcus E. Ethridge|author2=Howard Handelman|title=Politics in a Changing World: A Comparative Introduction to Political Science|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6RkLVlONHyUC&pg=PA144|access-date=19 August 2012|date=16 January 2009|publisher=Cengage Learning|isbn=978-0-495-57048-6|page=144}}</ref> merged their parties into the new party over the course of the first year. The UDF's Christian Democrats (such as [[Philippe Douste-Blazy]] and [[Jacques Barrot]]), the [[Radical Party (France)|Radical Party]] and the centrist [[Popular Party for French Democracy]] (both associate parties of the UDF until 2002), aligned themselves with the party for the [[2002 French legislative election]]. In the UMP four major French political families were thus represented: [[Gaullism]], [[republicanism]] (the kind of liberalism put forward by parties like the [[Democratic Republican Alliance]] or the [[Republican Party (France)|PR]], heir of DL), [[Christian democracy]] (''[[Popolarismo|Popularism]]'') and [[Radicalism (historical)|radicalism]].

Chirac's close ally [[Alain Juppé]] became the party's first president at the party's founding congress at the [[Le Bourget (Seine-Saint-Denis)|Bourget]] in November 2002. Juppé won 79.42% of the vote, defeating [[Nicolas Dupont-Aignan]], the leader of the party's Eurosceptic [[Arise the Republic]] faction, and three other candidates.<ref name="ump-history"/> During the party's earlier years, it was marked by tensions and rivalries between Juppé and other ''chiraquiens'' and supporters of [[Nicolas Sarkozy]], the then-[[Ministry of Interior (France)|Minister of the Interior]].

In the [[2004 French regional elections|2004 regional elections]], the UMP suffered a heavy blow, winning the presidencies of only 2 out of 22 regions in metropolitan France ([[Alsace]] and [[Corsica]]) and only half of the departments (the right had previously won numerous departmental presidencies) in the simultaneous [[2004 French cantonal elections|2004 cantonal elections]]. In the [[2004 European Parliament election in France|2004 European Parliament election]] on 13 June 2004, the UMP also suffered another heavy blow, winning 16.6% of the vote, far behind the [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]] (PS), and only 16 seats.

The membership in the early 2000s grew from 100,000 to 300,000 after members received a greater say in the selection of the party’s presidential candidate.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Scarrow |first1=Susan |title=Beyond Party Members: Changing Approaches to Partisan Mobilization |date=27 November 2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780191748332 |page=59 |edition=1 |url=https://academic.oup.com/book/9675 |access-date=15 June 2023}}</ref>

===Nicolas Sarkozy (2004–2012)===
Juppé resigned the party's presidency on 15 July 2004 after being found guilty in a [[political corruption|corruption scandal]] in January of the same year. Nicolas Sarkozy rapidly announced that he would take over the presidency of the UMP and resign his position as [[Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry (France)|finance minister]], ending months of speculation. On 28 November 2004, Sarkozy was elected to the party's presidency with 85.09% of the votes against 9.1% for Dupont-Aignan and 5.82% for [[Christine Boutin]], the leader of the [[Forum of Social Republicans|UMP's social conservatives]].<ref name="ump-history"/><ref>{{cite web|author=e-TF1|url=http://tf1.lci.fr/infos/france/2004/0,,3187726,00-sacre-sarkozy-.html|title=Info et Actualité en direct – Toutes les actualités et infos – MYTF1News|publisher=Tf1.lci.fr|language=fr|access-date=30 November 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091023174053/http://tf1.lci.fr/infos/france/2004/0,,3187726,00-sacre-sarkozy-.html|archive-date=23 October 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Having gained control of what had been Chirac's party, Sarkozy focused the party machinery and his energies on the [[2007 French presidential election|2007 presidential election]].

The failure of the [[2005 French European Constitution referendum|referendum on the European Constitution]] on 25 May 2005 led to the fall of the [[Raffarin Government|government of Jean-Pierre Raffarin]] and to the formation of a new cabinet, presided by another UMP politician, [[Dominique de Villepin]]. However, during this time, the UMP under Sarkozy gained a record number of new members and rejuvenated itself in preparation of the 2007 election. On 14 January 2007, Sarkozy was nominated unopposed as the UMP's presidential candidate for the 2007 election.

On the issues, the party under Sarkozy publicly disapproved of [[Turkey]]'s proposed membership in the European Union, which Chirac had previously endorsed several times publicly, and generally took a more right-wing position.

On 22 April 2007, [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] won the plurality of votes in the first round of the [[2007 French presidential election|2007 presidential election]]. On 6 May he faced the Socialist Party candidate [[Ségolène Royal]] in the second round and won, taking 53.06% of the vote. As a consequence, he resigned from the presidency of the UMP on 14 May 2007, two days before becoming President of the French Republic. [[François Fillon]] was appointed prime minister. On 17 June 2007, at a [[2007 French legislative election|2007 legislative election]], the UMP gained a majority in the National Assembly with 313 out of 577 seats.

Following Sarkozy's election to the presidency, interim leader [[Jean-Claude Gaudin]] prevented a leadership struggle between [[Patrick Devedjian]] and [[Jean-Pierre Raffarin]] by announcing that the UMP should have a collegial leadership while Sarkozy was President of the Republic.<ref>[https://archive.today/20070521032939/http://www.lexpress.fr/info/quotidien/actu.asp?id=12318 Devedjian-Raffarin: une direction à deux têtes pour l'UMP], ''[[L'Express]]'', 26 June 2007</ref> In July, the UMP's national council approved an amendment to the party's statute allowing for a collegial leadership around three vice-presidents (Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Jean-Claude Gaudin and [[Pierre Méhaignerie]]) and a secretary-general ([[Patrick Devedjian]]) and two associate secretaries-general.

On 9 March 2008, [[2008 French municipal elections|municipal]] and [[2008 French cantonal elections|cantonal]] elections, the party performed quite poorly, losing numerous cities, such as [[Toulouse]] and [[Strasbourg]], as well as eight departmental presidencies to the left. [[Xavier Bertrand]] was selected as secretary-general of the party in late 2008 to replace [[Patrick Devedjian]], who resigned to take up a cabinet position.<ref>[http://www.lalibre.be/actu/international/article/477212/xavier-bertrand-elu-secretaire-general-de-l-ump.html Xavier Bertrand, Secrétaire Général de l’UMP] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611095628/http://www.lalibre.be/actu/international/article/477212/xavier-bertrand-elu-secretaire-general-de-l-ump.html |date=11 June 2011 }}, ''[[La Libre Belgique]]'' 8 December 2008</ref>

In the [[2009 European Parliament election in France|2009 European Parliament election]] on 7 June 2009, the UMP ran common lists with its junior allies including [[Jean-Louis Borloo]]'s [[Radical Party (France)|Radical Party]], the [[New Centre]] and [[Modern Left]]. The UMP list won 27.9%, a remarkably good result for a governing party in off-year "mid-term" elections, and elected 29 MEPs, significantly improving on the UMP's poor result in the 2004 European election – also an off-year election. However, in the [[2010 French regional elections|2010 regional elections]] on 14 and 21 March 2010, the UMP obtained a very poor result with only 26%. While it lost Corsica, it retained Alsace but also defeated the left in ''[[La Réunion]]'' and [[French Guiana]].

In a cabinet reshuffle in November 2010, which disappointed centrists within and outside the UMP, François Fillon was confirmed prime minister and [[Alain Juppé]] re-joined the government. Among those who resigned from the cabinet were [[Bernard Kouchner]], [[Hervé Morin]] and, above all, [[Jean-Louis Borloo]]. Xavier Bertrand, who re-joined the government, was replaced as general-secretary of the UMP by [[Jean-François Copé]] on 17 November 2010.<ref>{{cite web|author=lefigaro.fr|url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2010/11/14/01002-20101114ARTFIG00213-remaniement-le-gouvernement-fillon-iii-ancre-a-droite-pour-2012.php|title=Le Figaro – Politique : Remaniement : le gouvernement Fillon III ancré à droite pour 2012|work=Le Figaro|date=14 November 2010 |location=France|access-date=21 April 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303012108/http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2010/11/14/01002-20101114ARTFIG00213-remaniement-le-gouvernement-fillon-iii-ancre-a-droite-pour-2012.php|archive-date=3 March 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=lefigaro.fr|url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2010/11/15/01002-20101115ARTFIG00554-borloo-et-morin-sonnent-la-revolte-des-centristes.php|title=Le Figaro – Politique : Borloo et Morin sonnent la révolte des centristes|work=Le Figaro|location=France|date=16 November 2010|access-date=21 April 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123123541/http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2010/11/15/01002-20101115ARTFIG00554-borloo-et-morin-sonnent-la-revolte-des-centristes.php|archive-date=23 January 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The party suffered another major electoral defeat in the [[2011 French cantonal elections|2011 cantonal elections]] held on 20 and 27 March 2011, and in September, the centre-right lost control of the [[French Senate]] for the first time in the history of the Fifth Republic.

In May 2011, during a party congress, the Radical Party, led by Borloo, decided to leave the UMP and launch [[The Alliance (France)|The Alliance]], a new [[centrism|centrist]] coalition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/actualite/politique/20110514.OBS3117/le-parti-radical-vote-son-independance-vis-a-vis-de-l-ump.html/ |title=Le Parti radical vote son indépendance vis-à-vis de l'UMP |publisher=Le Nouvel Observateur |language=fr |date=14 May 2011 |access-date=30 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517103319/http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/actualite/politique/20110514.OBS3117/le-parti-radical-vote-son-independance-vis-a-vis-de-l-ump.html/ |archive-date=17 May 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.germain-isern.com/2011/05/maurice-leroy-croit-en-une-grande.html |title=Germain Isern: Maurice Leroy croit en une grande Confédération des centres |access-date=12 March 2013 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516121628/http://www.germain-isern.com/2011/05/maurice-leroy-croit-en-une-grande.html |archive-date=16 May 2013 }}</ref><ref>http://www.partiradical.net/images/stories/evenement/invitationlancementdelalliance.pdf{{dead link|date=July 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The party opted not to organise primaries ahead of the [[2012 French presidential election|2012 presidential election]]<ref>[http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/election-presidentielle-2012/20111103.OBS3692/primaire-ump-fillon-et-bertrand-changent-de-pied.html Primaire UMP : Fillon et Bertrand changent de pied] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030064143/http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/election-presidentielle-2012/20111103.OBS3692/primaire-ump-fillon-et-bertrand-changent-de-pied.html |date=30 October 2014 }} ''NouvelObs'', 3 November 2011</ref> and endorsed [[Nicolas Sarkozy]]'s bid for second term. Sarkozy lost reelection to the Socialist Party candidate [[François Hollande]] on 6 May 2012, winning 48.36% in the runoff. The party was defeated by the new president's left-wing majority in the subsequent [[2012 French legislative election|legislative election]].

===After May 2012===
Prior to Sarkozy's defeat on 6 May, the UMP's secretary-general Jean-François Copé announced that he supported the creation of internal "movements" within the party<ref>[http://elections.lefigaro.fr/presidentielle-2012/2012/05/01/01039-20120501ARTFIG00219-cope-je-ne-travaille-qu-a-la-victoire-de-notre-candidat.php « Copé : “Je proposerai de créer des mouvements à l'UMP” »] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303180429/http://elections.lefigaro.fr/presidentielle-2012/2012/05/01/01039-20120501ARTFIG00219-cope-je-ne-travaille-qu-a-la-victoire-de-notre-candidat.php |date=3 March 2016 }}, ''Le Figaro'', 2 May 2012</ref> and the organisation of primaries for the next presidential election.<ref>[http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2012/05/04/97001-20120504FILWWW00581-primaires-en-2017-une-evidence-cope.php Primaires 2017 : "Une évidence" (Copé)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730041706/http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2012/05/04/97001-20120504FILWWW00581-primaires-en-2017-une-evidence-cope.php |date=30 July 2013 }}, ''[[Le Figaro]]'', 4 May 2012</ref>

====Campaign for the November 2012 congress====
The UMP's political bureau announced the organisation of a party congress on 18 and 25 November 2012,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120706044825/http://www.lesechos.fr/economie-politique/politique/actu/0202155386795-l-election-du-president-de-l-ump-aura-lieu-les-18-et-25-novembre-340717.php L'élection du président de l'UMP aura lieu les 18 et 25 novembre]  ''[[Les Échos (France)|Les Echos]]'' 4 July 2012</ref> leading prominent party leaders to organise factions and "movements" to influence the party's new direction.<ref>[http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2012/07/19/01002-20120719ARTFIG00519-les-courants-foisonnent-a-l-ump.php Les courants foisonnent à l'UMP] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130702175655/http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2012/07/19/01002-20120719ARTFIG00519-les-courants-foisonnent-a-l-ump.php |date=2 July 2013 }}, ''[[Le Figaro]]'', 19 July 2012</ref>

Ultimately, two candidates amassed the required endorsements to run for the party's presidency: former prime minister [[François Fillon]]<ref>[http://www.france24.com/fr/20120630-francois-fillon-officiellement-candidat-presidence-ump-france-politique-jean-francois-cope-congres-opposition François Fillon officiellement candidat à la présidence de l'UMP] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801052530/http://www.france24.com/fr/20120630-francois-fillon-officiellement-candidat-presidence-ump-france-politique-jean-francois-cope-congres-opposition |date=1 August 2013 }} France24, 1 June 2012</ref> and incumbent party secretary-general [[Jean-François Copé]].<ref>[http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2012/08/26/01002-20120826ARTFIG00068-cope-vise-la-tete-de-l-ump-pour-regagner-la-france.php Copé vise la tête de l'UMP pour «regagner la France»] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730044948/http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2012/08/26/01002-20120826ARTFIG00068-cope-vise-la-tete-de-l-ump-pour-regagner-la-france.php |date=30 July 2013 }} ''Le Figaro'', 26 August 2012</ref> [[Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet]],<ref>[http://www.france24.com/fr/20120721-nathalie-kosciusko-morizet-candidate-presidence-ump-fillon-cope-sarkozy Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet brigue officiellement la présidence de l'UMP] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130315124948/http://www.france24.com/fr/20120721-nathalie-kosciusko-morizet-candidate-presidence-ump-fillon-cope-sarkozy |date=15 March 2013 }} France24, 21 July 2012</ref> [[Bruno Le Maire]],<ref>[http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2012/08/19/01002-20120819ARTFIG00132-bruno-le-maire-pourquoi-je-suis-candidat.php Bruno Le Maire : « Pourquoi je suis candidat »] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730042739/http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2012/08/19/01002-20120819ARTFIG00132-bruno-le-maire-pourquoi-je-suis-candidat.php |date=30 July 2013 }} ''Le Figaro'', 20 August 2012</ref> [[Xavier Bertrand]],<ref>[http://www.leparisien.fr/politique/ump-xavier-bertrand-j-ai-les-8000-parrainages-06-09-2012-2153061.php Xavier Bertrand : «J’ai les 8000 parrainages !»] ''Le Parisien'', 6 September 2012</ref> [[Henri Guaino]],<ref>[http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/henri-guaino-pourquoi-je-suis-candidat-a-la-presidence-de-l-ump_1156013.html Henri Guaino: "Pourquoi je suis candidat à la présidence de l'UMP"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430095124/http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/henri-guaino-pourquoi-je-suis-candidat-a-la-presidence-de-l-ump_1156013.html |date=30 April 2013 }} ''L'Express'', 3 September 2012</ref> and [[Dominique Dord]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.europe1.fr/Politique/Dominique-Dord-candidat-a-la-tete-de-l-UMP-1169519 |title=Dominique Dord candidat à la tête de l'UMP |date=14 July 2012 |access-date=2013-03-15 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130107083151/http://www.europe1.fr/Politique/Dominique-Dord-candidat-a-la-tete-de-l-UMP-1169519/ |archive-date=7 January 2013 |df=dmy-all }} ''Le Lab Europe 1'', 14/07/12</ref> had also announced their candidacies but did not meet tough candidacy requirements.

The campaign between Fillon and Copé lasted two months. Fillon had a strong lead in polls of UMP 'sympathizers' (as opposed to actual members, who would be the only eligible voters) and was backed by most UMP parliamentarians<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2012/09/28/fillon-vs-cope-le-match-de-la-presidence-ump-chiffres_n_1922723.html Fillon / Copé : le match de la présidence de l'UMP en chiffres] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230234336/http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2012/09/28/fillon-vs-cope-le-match-de-la-presidence-ump-chiffres_n_1922723.html |date=30 December 2013 }} ''Le Huffington Post'' 2 October 2012</ref> while Copé claimed he was the candidate of party activists rather than party 'barons'.<ref>[http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/jean-francois-cope-se-pose-en-defenseur-des-militants-ump_1158415.html Jean-François Copé se pose en défenseur des militants UMP] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021213507/http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/jean-francois-cope-se-pose-en-defenseur-des-militants-ump_1158415.html |date=21 October 2012 }} ''L'Express'', 9 September 2012</ref> However, Copé remained as secretary-general and retained control of the party machinery.<ref>[http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/ump-pendant-la-campagne-cope-reste-secretaire-general_1154061.html UMP: pendant la campagne, Copé reste secrétaire général] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922024310/http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/ump-pendant-la-campagne-cope-reste-secretaire-general_1154061.html |date=22 September 2012 }}''L'Express'', 29 August 2012</ref>

While Fillon's campaign was regarded as more consensual, moderate and centre-right; Copé campaigned as the candidate of the ''droite décomplexée'' ('uninhibited right')<ref>[http://www.lesechos.fr/economie-politique/politique/actu/0202302043897-ump-le-projet-economique-decomplexe-de-cope-368513.php UMP : le projet économique « décomplexé » de Copé] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111160244/http://www.lesechos.fr/economie-politique/politique/actu/0202302043897-ump-le-projet-economique-decomplexe-de-cope-368513.php |date=11 November 2012 }} ''Les Echos'', 3 October 2012</ref> and introduced issues such as [[Reverse racism|anti-white racism]].<ref>[http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2012/09/26/01002-20120926ARTFIG00428-cope-denonce-l-existence-d-un-racisme-anti-blanc.php Copé dénonce l'existence d'un «racisme anti-Blanc»] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130504234759/http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2012/09/26/01002-20120926ARTFIG00428-cope-denonce-l-existence-d-un-racisme-anti-blanc.php |date=4 May 2013 }} ''Le Figaro'', 26 September 2012</ref> However, both candidates received support from moderate and conservative members of the party and their main differences were in rhetoric, style and temperament.<ref>[http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2012/10/26/01002-20121026ARTFIG00005-cope-fillon-ce-qui-les-separe.php Copé-Fillon : ce qui les sépare] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119001209/http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2012/10/26/01002-20121026ARTFIG00005-cope-fillon-ce-qui-les-separe.php |date=19 November 2012 }} ''Le Figaro'', 26 October 2012</ref> Copé, again, appeared more militant and activist, saying that he would support and participate in street demonstrations<ref>[http://www.lepoint.fr/politique/presidence-de-l-ump-cope-envisagerait-d-appeler-a-manifester-contre-l-executif-29-10-2012-1522378_20.php Présidence de l'UMP : Copé envisagerait d'appeler à manifester contre l'exécutif ] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403092424/http://www.lepoint.fr/politique/presidence-de-l-ump-cope-envisagerait-d-appeler-a-manifester-contre-l-executif-29-10-2012-1522378_20.php |date=3 April 2013 }} ''Le Point'', 29 October 2012</ref> while Fillon disagreed with his rival.<ref>[http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/fillon-ecrit-aux-adherents-ump-et-prend-ses-distances-avec-cope_1182911.html Fillon écrit aux adhérents UMP et prend ses distances avec Copé] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114061846/http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/fillon-ecrit-aux-adherents-ump-et-prend-ses-distances-avec-cope_1182911.html |date=14 November 2012 }} ''L'Express'', 4 November 2012</ref>

Six 'motions' (declarations of principles) were submitted to party voters; under the new statutes, motions which won over 10% of the vote at the congress would be recognised as "movements" by the UMP leadership, granted financial autonomy and receive positions in the party structures.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}

====Results and subsequent crisis====
The vote on 18 November saw high turnout but was quickly marred by allegations of irregularities and potential fraud on both sides.<ref>[http://www.dna.fr/actualite/2012/11/18/presidence-ump-le-scrutin-est-clos-mais-des-files-d-attente-encore-dans-les-bureaux-de-vote Présidence UMP: le scrutin est clos, mais des files d’attente encore dans les bureaux de vote] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729113439/http://www.dna.fr/actualite/2012/11/18/presidence-ump-le-scrutin-est-clos-mais-des-files-d-attente-encore-dans-les-bureaux-de-vote |date=29 July 2014 }} ''Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace'',18 November 2012</ref> Both candidates proclaimed victory within 20 minutes of each other on the night of the vote.<ref>[http://www.francetvinfo.fr/presidence-de-l-ump-jean-francois-cope-revendique-la-victoire_172137.html Copé ou Fillon ? Les trois enseignements d'une soirée ubuesque à l'UMP] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130405224020/http://www.francetvinfo.fr/presidence-de-l-ump-jean-francois-cope-revendique-la-victoire_172137.html |date=5 April 2013 }} ''France TV Info'', 18 November 2012</ref>

Twenty four hours later, the control commission in charge of the vote (COCOE) announced Copé's victory by only 98 votes.<ref>[http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2012/11/19/01002-20121119ARTFIG00748-cope-la-victoire-aux-forceps.php Copé, la victoire au forceps] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509162813/http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2012/11/19/01002-20121119ARTFIG00748-cope-la-victoire-aux-forceps.php |date=9 May 2013 }} ''Le Figaro'', 20 November 2012</ref> While Fillon initially conceded defeat, by 21 November, his campaign claimed victory anew, with a 26-vote advantage over Copé.<ref>[http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2012/11/21/presidence-ump-le-camp-fillon-revendique-la-victoire_1793845_823448.html Présidence de l'UMP : le camp Fillon revendique la victoire], ''Le Monde'' 21 November 2012</ref> Fillon's campaign argued that the COCOE had failed to take into account votes cast in three [[DOM-TOM|overseas federations]].

Party elder Alain Juppé accepted to lead a mediation between both candidates on 23 November,<ref>[http://www.lepoint.fr/politique/ump-le-president-de-la-commission-des-recours-rejette-les-conditions-de-juppe-23-11-2012-1532715_20.php UMP : le président de la Commission des recours rejette les conditions de Juppé ] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130128115435/http://www.lepoint.fr/politique/ump-le-president-de-la-commission-des-recours-rejette-les-conditions-de-juppe-23-11-2012-1532715_20.php |date=28 January 2013 }}''Le Point'', 23 November 2012</ref> but it failed within two days. Fillon's announced "precautionary seizure" of ballots cast "to protect them from tampering or alteration"<ref name="businessinsider.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/ump-leadership-struggle-suicide-2012-11|title=UMP Leadership Struggle 'Suicide'|publisher=Business Insider|date=26 November 2012|access-date=30 November 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130427005639/http://www.businessinsider.com/ump-leadership-struggle-suicide-2012-11|archive-date=27 April 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and threatened to take the matter to court.<ref>[http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2012/11/26/quels-sont-les-ressorts-de-l-action-en-justice-de-fillon_1795903_823448.html « Pour tout comprendre à la bataille juridique entre Copé et Fillon »], LeMonde.fr, 27 novembre 2012.</ref> On 26 November, the party appeals commission – led by a close supporter of Copé – decided in Copé's favour and rejected Fillon's arguments.<ref>[http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2012/11/26/le-recompte-de-la-commission-des-recours-favorable-a-cope_1796180_823448.html Les calculs de la commission des recours favorables à M. Copé] ''Le Monde'' 26 November 2012</ref>

On 27 November, 72 ''filloniste'' parliamentarians in the [[French National Assembly|National Assembly]] announced the creation of a new parliamentary group, the ''{{anchor|Rassemblement-UMP}}[[Rassemblement-UMP]]'', led by Fillon.<ref>[http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2012/11/27/97001-20121127FILWWW00727-ump-le-groupe-filloniste-depose-a-l-assemblee.php « UMP: le groupe filloniste déposé à l'Assemblée »] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121130043618/http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2012/11/27/97001-20121127FILWWW00727-ump-le-groupe-filloniste-depose-a-l-assemblee.php |date=30 November 2012 }}, ''Le Figaro'', 27 November 2012</ref> Copé took up former president Nicolas Sarkozy's proposal of organising a [[referendum]] on a revote, but he saw the creation of the dissident ''filloniste'' group as a [[casus belli]] and took back his proposal. [[Luc Chatel]], the new vice-president and a Copé supporter, later announced that he supported a new presidential vote and a modification of party statutes.<ref>[http://www.lejdd.fr/Politique/Actualite/Luc-Chatel-Il-faut-redonner-la-parole-aux-militants-578648 « Chatel : "Il faut redonner la parole aux militants" »] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325175639/http://www.lejdd.fr/Politique/Actualite/Luc-Chatel-Il-faut-redonner-la-parole-aux-militants-578648 |date=25 March 2013 }}, ''Le JDD'', 1 December 2012</ref> The next day, Copé announced that he favoured organising a referendum the modification of party statutes and a reduction of his own term as president to two years (until November 2014); while Fillon welcomed the "consensus on the organisation of a new election" he rejected his rival's timeline and called for a new election before 2014.<ref>[http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2012/12/02/cope-propose-une-nouvelle-election-pour-la-presidence-de-l-ump-en-2014_1798918_823448.html Fillon rejette la proposition Copé, le blocage se poursuit à l'UMP] ''Le Monde''-AFP, 2 December 2012</ref> 'Unaligned' members of the UMP led by [[Bruno Le Maire]] and [[Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet]] appealed for the organisation of a new election in the spring of 2013 and a reform of the party statutes.<ref>[http://www.mediapart.fr/journal/france/051212/la-crise-ump-se-transforme-en-guerre-froide « La crise UMP se transforme en guerre froide »] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130421050540/http://www.mediapart.fr/journal/france/051212/la-crise-ump-se-transforme-en-guerre-froide |date=21 April 2013 }}, ''[[Mediapart]]'', 5 December 2012</ref>

====Resolution====
Both rivals reached an agreement at the end of December 2012,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/ump-l-accord-cope-fillon-adopte-a-l-unanimite-par-le-bureau-politique_1200751.html |title=UMP: l'accord Copé-Fillon adopté à l'unanimité par le bureau politique |date=18 December 2012 |publisher=L'EXPRESS |access-date=30 November 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203101400/http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/ump-l-accord-cope-fillon-adopte-a-l-unanimite-par-le-bureau-politique_1200751.html |archive-date=3 December 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> with Copé agreeing to the organisation of a new election and a modification of party statutes while Fillon agreed to dissolve his parliamentary group.

The party's leadership was reorganized in January 2013 to accommodate Copé and Fillon's supporters: [[Laurent Wauquiez]] and [[Valérie Pécresse]] joined [[Luc Chatel]] and [[Michèle Tabarot]] as vice-president and secretary-general respectively. [[Christian Estrosi]], [[Gérard Longuet]], [[Henri de Raincourt]] (pro-Fillon), [[Jean-Claude Gaudin]], [[Brice Hortefeux]] and [[Roger Karoutchi]] (pro-Copé) also became vice-presidents. Other positions in the party hierarchy were divided between supporters of both candidates.<ref>Alexandre Lemarié, [http://ump.blog.lemonde.fr/2013/01/15/dati-ciotti-morano-lorganigramme-complet-de-la-direction-de-lump/ « Hortefeux, Ciotti, Morano… L’organigramme complet de la direction de l’UMP »] {{webarchive|url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20130116142105/http://ump.blog.lemonde.fr/2013/01/15/dati-ciotti-morano-lorganigramme-complet-de-la-direction-de-lump/ |date=16 January 2013 }}, [[Le Monde|lemonde.fr]], 15 January 2013</ref> New leaders were also nominated in February 2013.

==== Bygmalion scandal====
Several spending scandals appeared in 2014. In early 2014, the Bygmalion scandal ([[:fr:Bygmalion#Affaire UMP-Bygmalion|fr]]) pushed the party's leader [[Jean-François Copé]] to resign. In early July, [[Sarkozy]] got held in custody due to possible spying and active corruption of the judiciary system. On 8 July 2014, the UMP was discovered to have a hidden debt of €79.1&nbsp;million for the year 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2014/07/08/que-deviendrait-la-dette-de-l-ump-si-le-parti-disparaissait_4453316_4355770.html|title=Que deviendrait la dette de l'UMP si le parti disparaissait ?|website=Le Monde.fr|date=8 July 2014}}</ref> On 20 May 2021, the criminal trial began for Sarkozy and 13 other defendants who were said to have been involved in the Bygmalion scandal.<ref name=trialtwo>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57186670|title=Nicolas Sarkozy: Ex-president goes on trial for illegal campaign funding|publisher=BBC News|date=May 20, 2021|accessdate=May 21, 2021}}</ref> The scandal allegations that Sarkozy diverting tens of millions of euros which was intended to be spent on his failed 2012 re-election campaign and then hiring a PR firm to cover it up.<ref name=trialtwo /> The illicit campaign finance money which was not reported as being spent on Sarkozy's re-election campaign was instead used to overspend on lavish campaign rallies and events.<ref name=trialtwo /> On 30 September 2021, Sarkozy and his co-defendants would be convicted for violating France's campaign finance spending limit law.<ref name=sarkozysecondconviction>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58729505|title=Sarkozy: Ex-French president gets jail sentence over campaign funding|publisher=BBC News|date=30 September 2021|accessdate=16 November 2021}}</ref> For this conviction, Sarkozy was given a 1-year prison sentence, though he was also given the option to instead serve this sentence at home with an electronic bracelet.<ref name=sarkozysecondconviction />

===Name change and dissolution===
After the election of [[Nicolas Sarkozy]], the former [[President of France]] (2007–2012), as president of the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) in November 2014, he put forward a request to the party's general committee to change its name to the Republicans as well as the statutes of the party. With the name already chosen [[Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet]], vice president of the UMP, presented [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] and the party's political bureau a project of new statutes. The proposed statutes provided for, among others, the election of the presidents of the departmental federations by direct suffrage, the end of the political currents and consulting members on election nominations.<ref>{{cite web |language=fr |author1=Anne-Laëtitia Béraud |title=L'UMP se dote des statuts du nouveau parti baptisé "Les Républicains |work=[[20 minutes (France)|20minutes.fr]] |date=14 April 2015 |url=http://www.20minutes.fr/politique/1586487-20150414-ump-dote-statuts-future-formation-republicains |access-date=18 April 2015}}</ref>

Critics of Sarkozy claimed it was illegal for him to name the party "Republicans" because every French person is a republican in that they support the values and ideals of the [[France|French Republic]] that emanated from the [[French Revolution]], and as such the term is above party politics.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/26/france-sarkozy-les-republicains-ump-socialists|title = France: judges clear way for Sarkozy to rename UMP party Les Républicains|date = 26 May 2015|access-date = 1 June 2015|website = [[The Guardian]]|last = Chrisafis|first = Angelique|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150531074927/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/26/france-sarkozy-les-republicains-ump-socialists|archive-date = 31 May 2015|df = dmy-all}}</ref> The new name was adopted by the bureau on 5 May 2015 and approved by the party membership on 28 May by an online yes vote of 83.28% on a 45.74% participation after a court ruling in favor of Sarkozy.<ref name="LP3052015">Pauline Théveniaud (avec Olivier Beaumont), [http://m.leparisien.fr/politique/les-republicains-reunis-a-paris-pour-leur-congres-fondateur-30-05-2015-4817071.php Congrès des «Républicains» : «Un jour de renaissance», pour Sarkozy] ''Le Parisien'', 30 mai 2015</ref> Similarly the new party statutes are adopted by 96.34% of voters and the composition of the new party's political bureau by 94.77%.
[[The Republicans (France)|The Republicans]] thus became the legal successor of the UMP as the leading centre-right party in France.<ref name="yahoo1"/>