Editing Union for French Democracy (section)

===1980s===
After the election of Mitterrand as president, the two centre-right parties reconciled. Gradually, the RPR abandoned Gaullist doctrine and joined the market-oriented and pro-European positions of the UDF. Although they presented a common list at the [[1984 European Parliament election in France|1984 European Parliament election]], their leaders Chirac and Barre still competed for the leadership of the French centre-right. Focused on winning the [[1986 French legislative election|1986 legislative election]], Chirac, unlike Barre, accepted the principle of "[[cohabitation (government)|cohabitation]]" with President Mitterrand. Furthermore, some UDF politicians (notably from the PR) covertly supported Chirac. Consequently, he served as Prime Minister from 1986 to 1988 and the UDF played a supporting role in his government.

Barre was a candidate in the [[1988 French presidential election|1988 presidential election]], yet, despite his popularity, he was not supported by all UDF leaders. Giscard himself refused to choose clearly and publicly between his two former Prime Ministers. Eliminated in the first round, Barre called on his supporters to vote for Chirac in the second round, but despite this, Chirac was defeated by Mitterrand. After the re-election of Mitterrand, some UDF members participated as ministers in the centre-left governments led by Prime Minister [[Michel Rocard]].

Also in 1988 Giscard retook the leadership of the UDF. However, his authority and that of the other centre-right leaders (Chirac, Barre etc.) were contested by a new generation of politicians called the "renovation men", who accused the old guard leadership of bearing responsibility for the successive electoral defeats. However, Giscard would give the party a more consistent centre-right approach, that would culminate in the entire UDF joining the [[European People's Party]] (EPP),<ref name="JansenHecke2011"/> which had been previously home only of the Christian-democratic CDS, in 1994.