Editing Union for a Popular Movement (section)

====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>