Editing Movement for France

{{Short description|Defunct French political party}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox political party
| native_name      = Mouvement pour la France
| logo             = MPFlogo.png
| colorcode        = {{party color|Movement for France}}
| leader           = [[Philippe de Villiers]]
| founder          = Philippe de Villiers
| split            = [[Union for French Democracy]]
| foundation       = 20 November 1994
| dissolved        = 28 June 2018<ref>{{cite web|title=Mouvement pour la France|url=https://partis.projetarcadie.com/content/mouvement-pour-la-france|publisher=Projet Arcadie|access-date=3 July 2019}}</ref>
| ideology         = [[National conservatism]]<ref name="Nordsieck">{{Cite web|url=http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/france.html|title=France|last=Nordsieck|first=Wolfram|website=Parties and Elections in Europe|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170611170520/http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/france.html|year=2012|archive-date=2017-06-11|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />[[Souverainism]]<ref>{{cite book|page=23|lang=de|title=Die Debatte um die französische und deutsche Identität in der Presseberichterstattung in Frankreich und Deutschland (1997-2012): eine Wiederkehr des nationalen Mythos?|year=2020|url=https://theses.hal.science/tel-03379055/document|author=Michaela Bresching|access-date=9 February 2024}}</ref><br />[[French nationalism]]<ref name=VRT>{{cite web|url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/de/2009/05/14/fraktion_unabhaengigkeitdemokratie-1-528039/|title=Fraktion Unabhängigkeit/Demokratie|lang=de|work=[[VRT (broadcaster)|VRT]]|date=14 May 2009|access-date=9 February 2024}}</ref>
| headquarters     = 16 bis avenue de la Motte-Picquet – 75007 Paris
| website          = {{url|http://www.pourlafrance.fr/}}
| country          = France
| position         = [[Right-wing politics|Right-wing]]<ref name=VRT/>
| european         = [[Movement for a Europe of Liberties and Democracy]] (2011–2015)
| europarl         = [[Europe of Freedom and Democracy]] (2009–2014)
| colours          = {{color box|{{party color|Movement for France}}}} [[Purple]]
}}
The '''Movement for France''' ({{langx|fr|Mouvement pour la France}}, '''MPF'''; {{IPA|fr|muvmɑ̃ puʁ laˈfʁɑ̃s}}) was a [[Conservatism|conservative]] [[Soft Euroscepticism|Eurosceptic]] [[List of political parties in France|French political party]], founded on 20 November 1994, with a marked [[Regions of France|regional]] stronghold in the [[Vendée]]. It was led by [[Philippe de Villiers]], once communications minister under [[Jacques Chirac]].

The party was considered Eurosceptic, though not to the extent of seeking [[withdrawal from the European Union]], contrasting with some mainstream Eurosceptic parties such as the [[UK Independence Party]] (UKIP). The MPF resisted increases in [[European integration]] and campaigned successfully for a "no" vote in the [[2005 French European Constitution referendum|French referendum of 2005]] on the proposed [[European Constitution]]. It was also strongly opposed to the possible [[accession of Turkey to the European Union]] and to what it saw as the [[Islamisation]] of France.

The party was a member of President [[Nicolas Sarkozy]]'s presidential majority, which gathered allies of the ruling party [[Union for a Popular Movement]] (UMP). However, the party eventually distanced itself from Sarkozy, and party leader Villiers expressed support for [[Marine Le Pen]] in the [[2017 French presidential election|2017 presidential elections]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=redacchef |date=2017-03-28 |title=Philippe de Villiers confirme son ralliement à Marine Le Pen |url=https://www.valeursactuelles.com/politique/philippe-de-villiers-confirme-son-ralliement-a-marine-le-pen |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=Valeurs actuelles |language=fr-FR}}</ref> 

== History ==
=== 1990s === 
[[File:Mouvement pour la France (old logo).png|150px|thumb|left|Old logo of the MPF]]
Founded in 1994, the party nominated [[Philippe de Villiers]] as candidate in the [[1995 French presidential election|1995 presidential election]]. He obtained over a million votes and 4.74% of the popular vote, but failed to pass 5%.

In the [[1997 French legislative election|1997 legislative election]], the MPF joined forces with the [[National Centre of Independents and Peasants]] as {{anchor|LDI}}''La Droite Indépendante'' (LDI). Philippe de Villiers was re-elected, as was one of his allies, who nonetheless left the party soon thereafter.

It contested the [[1999 European Parliament election in France|1999 European Parliamentary elections]] in alliance with the [[Rassemblement pour la France]] (RPF) of [[Charles Pasqua]], the combination winning 13 seats, surpassing [[Nicolas Sarkozy]]'s [[Rassemblement pour la République]] (RPR) list. 

=== 2000s === 
The MPF formed an alliance with the RPF, but Villiers fell out with Pasqua the following year. Standing by itself in the [[2004 European Parliament election in France|2004 European elections]], the MPF obtained 7.6% of the popular vote and returned three [[Member of the European Parliament|Members of the European Parliament]] (MEPs). The party was a member of the [[Independence and Democracy]] group in the European Parliament.

Villiers declared his candidacy for the [[2007 French presidential election|2007 presidential election]] and appointed a secretary-general, [[Guillaume Peltier]], then ranked second in the party. He ranked sixth out of twelve candidates, obtaining 2.23% (818,407 votes), down almost 2% from his previous candidacy in 1995. His best scores came in [[Pays de la Loire]] with 4.99% and [[Poitou-Charentes]] with 3.58%. Unlike in 1995, he failed to win in his department of [[Vendée]], where he obtained 11.28% (over 20% in 1995).

In the [[2007 French legislative election|2007 legislative election]], MPF candidates ran nationwide, but only one candidate was elected – [[Véronique Besse]] in [[Vendée's 4th constituency]] by the first round. Former MPF member [[Joël Sarlot]] was also elected by the first round in the [[Vendée's 5th constituency]]. Sarlot subsequently lent support to the victorious [[Union for a Popular Movement]] (UMP) in the National Assembly. Sarlot's election was invalidated in 2007 and [[Dominique Souchet]], a ''Villierist'' won the ensuing [[by-election]] easily. Other candidates, mostly in the south of France obtained important scores. [[Jacques Bompard]], in the 4th constituency of [[Vaucluse]] won over 20%.

In the [[2009 European Parliament election in France|2009 European Parliament election]], the party ran with [[Hunting, Fishing, Nature, Tradition]] under the umbrella of the [[Libertas Party|Libertas]] political movement led by Irish businessman [[Declan Ganley]]. It won 4.8% and only [[Philippe de Villiers]] was re-elected: [[Patrick Louis]] was defeated. The MPF was the only Libertas affiliated party throughout the whole of the European Union to elect MEPs in 2009. The party was member of the [[Europe of Freedom and Democracy]] (EFD) group during the [[Seventh European Parliament|7th European Parliament]].

In August 2009, Philippe de Villiers announced that the MPF would join the [[Liaison Committee for the Presidential Majority]], which co-ordinates the member parties of the majority supporting the policies of President [[Nicolas Sarkozy]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/actualites/politique/20090810.OBS7030/philippe_de_villiers_explique_les_raisons_de_son_rallie.html|title= Philippe de Villiers explique les raisons de son ralliement à l'UMP}}</ref>

=== Decline (2010s) === 
During the 2010s, the MPF gradually lost all its electoral representation. The party did not take part in the [[2012 French presidential election|2012]] and [[2017 French presidential election|2017]] [[French Presidential elections|presidential elections]]. Party leader Villiers expressed his personal support for [[Marine Le Pen]] in the [[2017 French presidential election|2017 presidential election]].<ref name=":0" /> The party was dissolved by its secretary-general [[Patrick Louis]] on 28 June 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://partis.projetarcadie.com/content/mouvement-pour-la-france |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517153819/https://partis.projetarcadie.com/content/mouvement-pour-la-france |archive-date=17 May 2019 |title=Mouvement pour la France {{!}} Projet Arcadie - Les partis politiques}}</ref>

== Ideology ==
{{Conservatism in France|Parties}}
The MPF was a [[souverainism|souverainist]] party which supported the national independence of France within a Europe "of peoples and co-operation". Unlike the [[United Kingdom Independence Party]], it did not support France's withdrawal from the EU but rather a massive overhaul of it. The MPF was a strong critic of what it saw as excessive bureaucracy and technocracy in the EU. 

The MPF and Villers, mostly due to their views on Islam and Muslim immigration, have been labeled in world news media such as ''[[CNN]]'', ''[[Der Spiegel]]'', ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', ''[[The Boston Globe]]'', and ''[[The San Francisco Chronicle]]'' as "far right".<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/04/05/france.all.candidates/index.html|title= 12 candidates in the running for French president|publisher=CNN|date= 9 April 2007}}</ref><ref name=der>{{cite web|url= http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,446120,00.html|title= Paris Airport Bars Muslim Workers|work=Der Spiegel |date= 2 November 2006}}</ref><ref name=boston>{{cite web|url= http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2006/04/23/far_right_leader_decries_islamisation_of_france/|title= Far-right leader decries "Islamisation of France"|author=Tom Heneghan|work=The Boston Globe |date= 23 April 2006}}</ref><ref name=wsj>{{cite web|url= https://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-frelecgal0412.html|title= Philippe de Villiers|author=David Marcelis|work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date= 4 March 2009}}</ref><ref name=shuts>{{cite web|url= http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2006/08/02/international/i150614D49.DTL|title= Paris Shuts Airport Muslim Prayer Rooms|author=Elaine Ganley|work=The San Francisco Chronicle |date= 2 August 2006}}</ref>

According to its [[Political platform|electoral platform]], its various proposals included:

=== European Union ===
* Restore the rule of national law over EU law.
* Ceasing negotiations over the [[accession of Turkey to the European Union]], and begin a process of [[privileged partnership]] with Turkey and other [[Mediterranean]] countries.
* Allow the countries of Europe to form their own, independent foreign policies.
* Follow a policy of respect of national borders and control of immigration.
* Put the national Parliaments in the middle of European construction and giving them veto power on the vital interests of the people which they represent.
* Put the European Union and the euro at the service of the growth and employment.
* Found a European preference for industry and the services, as for agriculture.
* Opposition to the [[Lisbon Treaty]] and halting the ratification process.
* Draft a "fundamental treaty" of the European Union based on a free association of independent nations and peoples.

=== Economy ===
* Establishing a "European protectionism" with tariffs on external imports. Within France, it is more [[neoliberal]] in supporting lower taxes to encourage the growth of industries within France.
* End the [[35-hour workweek]]
* Liberalization of the fixed retirement age (60)
* Maximum rate of taxation at 38%
* Repealing the [[solidarity tax on wealth]] (ISF)

=== Internal issues ===
* Referendum on the re-establishment of the [[death penalty]]
* Forbid the wearing of the [[hijab]] in public.
* Establishing a moratorium on constructing mosques in France.
* Abolition of the [[French Council of the Muslim Faith]] (CFCM)
* Opposition to [[same-sex marriage]]: constitutional amendment establishing marriage as between a man and a woman
* The party supports alternatives to abortion though it does not support forbidding it

== Organization ==
=== Leadership ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
! colspan="2" |Party leader 
!Time in office 
|-
|1.
|[[Philippe de Villiers]]
|20 November 1994 – 28 June 2018
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+
! colspan="2" |Secretary-General 
!Time in office 
|-
|1.
|[[Stéphane Buffetaut]]
|1998 – 1999
|-
|2.
|[[Thierry de La Perrière]]
|1999 – 2003
|-
|3.
|[[Guillaume Peltier]]
|2003 – 2008
|-
|4.
|[[Patrick Louis]]
|2008 – 2018
|}

=== Elected officials ===
The MPF elected some representatives, including two deputies ([[Véronique Besse]] and [[Dominique Souchet]], part of [[Non-Inscrits]]), two senators ([[Bruno Retailleau]] and [[Philippe Darniche]], part of [[Non-Inscrits|RASNAG]]) and a MEP ([[Philippe de Villiers]], member of the [[Europe of Freedom and Democracy|EFD]]).

The MPF controlled the general council of [[Vendée]], where Villiers served as [[President of the General Council]]. It had 10 general councillors in Vendée in addition to one in the [[Morbihan]] ([[Quiberon]]), one in the [[Meuse (department)|Meuse]] ([[Charny-sur-Meuse]]) and two in the [[Vaucluse]] ([[Orange, Vaucluse|Orange]]). It claimed 5 regional councillors, most of which were elected on [[National Front (France)|FN]] lists in 2004.

=== Youth wing === 
The Youth for France ([[French language|French]]: ''Jeunes pour la France'', JPF) was founded in 2001 by [[Guillaume Peltier]] as the party's youth organisation. Its successive presidents included Peltier (2001–2006), Jean-Baptiste Doat (2006–2008), Thibaud Vincendeau (2008–2010), [[Christophe Bentz]] (2010–2011) and [[Pierre Meurin]] (2014–2018). 

== Electoral performance ==
The MPF had little electoral clout and most of its support was concentrated in Philippe de Villiers' department of [[Vendée]], his electoral stronghold. While most of his support drew on his status as a favourite son, Vendée is also a strongly [[Traditionalist Catholic]] department which maintains a sense of pride in the monarchist [[War in the Vendée|counter-revolution]] and the [[Chouans]] during the [[French Revolution]]. In the [[2009 European Parliament election in France|2009 European election]], Villiers' list won the department with 32.96%<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/resultats-elections/ER2009/02/052/085/085.html|title= Ministry of the Interior results page}}</ref> while polling only 4.8% nationally. In the [[2004 European Parliament election in France|2004 European election]] the MPF won 38.63%<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/resultats-elections/eur2004/002/085/index.html|title= Ministry of the Interior results page}}</ref> and it won 31.9% in the 1999 elections and 34.75% in 1994. However, the MPF is weaker in the department in national elections – such as presidential votes. Philippe de Villiers, who had won 22.02% in his department in the [[1995 French presidential election|1995 presidential election]] (he also got first place) came in fourth place with 11.28% in the [[2007 French presidential election|2007 presidential election]]. His electoral base in the department is his constituency – [[Vendée's 4th constituency]] – in which he consistently does better than in the department as a whole.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://cdsp.sciences-po.fr/AE.php|title= Results on the CDSP website|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://archive.today/20120604090721/http://cdsp.sciences-po.fr/AE.php|archive-date= 4 June 2012}}</ref>

His influence waned, however: through considered to be pro-EU in general, the department voted against the [[Maastricht Treaty]] in 1992 due to Villiers' influence, but it voted for the [[European Constitution]] in 2005. It was the only department to switch between a NO vote in 1992 and a YES vote in 2005.

The MPF was also strong in other departments, mostly those neighboring Vendée. In 2009, for example, Villiers' list won 14.26% in the [[Deux-Sèvres]], a department which is also strongly Catholic. It also won 12.36% in [[Charente-Maritime]], 10.39% in [[Maine-et-Loire]], 9.79% in [[Charente]], 9.29% in [[Vienne (department)|Vienne]] and 8.56% in [[Loire-Atlantique]]. Due to [[Jacques Bompard]], it also polled 6.40% in the southeastern [[Vaucluse]] department.

=== Presidential ===
{| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center
|+[[President of the French Republic]]
!rowspan=2|Election
!rowspan=2|Candidate
!colspan=2|First round
!colspan=2|Second round
!rowspan=2|Result
|-
!Votes
!%
!Votes
!%
|-
! [[1995 French presidential election|1995]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Philippe de Villiers]]
| 1,443,235
| 4.74%
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
|{{no|Lost}}
|-
! [[2007 French presidential election|2007]]
| 818,407
| 2.23%
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
|{{no|Lost}}
|}

=== Legislative ===
{|class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
|+[[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]]
!rowspan=2|Election
!rowspan=2|Leader
!colspan=2|Votes <small>(first round)</small>
!colspan=2|Seats
|-
!style="width:100px"|No.
!style="width:50px"|%
!style="width:50px"|No.
!style="width:50px"|±
|-
![[1997 French legislative election|1997]]
|rowspan="3"|[[Philippe de Villiers]]
|606,355
|2.38%
|style="text-align:right;"|{{composition bar compact|2|577|{{party color|Movement for France}}}}
|{{Increase}} 2
|-
![[2002 French legislative election|2002]]
|202,831
|0.80%
|style="text-align:right;"|{{composition bar compact|1|577|{{party color|Movement for France}}}}
|{{decrease}} 1
|-
![[2007 French legislative election|2007]]
|312,581
|1.20%
|style="text-align:right;"|{{composition bar compact|2|577|{{party color|Movement for France}}}}
|{{Increase}} 1
|}

=== European Parliament ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+ [[European Parliament]]
! Election year
! Leader
! Number of votes
! % of overall vote
! # of seats won
|-
! [[1994 European Parliament election in France|1994]]
|rowspan="4"|[[Philippe de Villiers]]
| 2,404,105
| 12.34%<ref name="ElectionResults">Results of the [[Rally for France]]-MPF common list</ref>
| 13<ref name="ElectionResults2">The RPF-MPF list won 13 MEPs, of which 6 were members of the MPF</ref>
|-
! [[1999 European Parliament election in France|1999]]
| 2,304,285
| 13.05%<ref name="ElectionResults" />
| 6<ref name="ElectionResults2" />
|-
! [[2004 European Parliament election in France|2004]]
| 1,145,839
| 6.67%
| 3<ref>Including [[Paul-Marie Coûteaux]], who is not a member of the MPF</ref>
|-
! [[2009 European Parliament election in France|2009]]
| 826,357
| 4.80%<ref>Results of [[Libertas France]], where the MPF was the senior party in a coalition including the stronger Movement for France</ref>
| 1
|}

== See also ==
*[[List of political parties in France]]
*[[Politics of France]]
*[[Debout la France|Debout La France]] (another [[social conservative]] [[Radical right (Europe)|radical right-wing]] political party of France)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070225022124/http://www.pourlafrance.fr/ Official Movement for France web site]
*[http://www.autre-europe.org Official web site of the MPF with the European Parliament]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060624205904/http://jeunes.pourlafrance.fr/ Sit Web of the JPF]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070930072435/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1190090,00.html/ Article of the Time concerning the book subversive “mosques of Roissy”]

{{French political parties}}
{{Libertas topics}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Movement For France}}
[[Category:Libertas.eu]]
[[Category:1994 establishments in France]]
[[Category:2018 disestablishments in France]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1994]]
[[Category:Political parties disestablished in 2018]]
[[Category:Right-wing parties in France]]
[[Category:Conservative parties in France]]
[[Category:Right-wing populism in France]]
[[Category:French nationalist parties]]
[[Category:Eurosceptic parties in France]]