Editing Union for a Popular Movement

{{Short description|2002–2015 political party in France}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox political party
| colorcode        = {{party color|Union for a Popular Movement}}
| native_name      = Union pour un mouvement populaire
| logo             = UMP.svg
| president        = [[Nicolas Sarkozy]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/11/sarkozy-wins-opposition-ump-party-vote-20141129195438705858.html|title=Sarkozy wins opposition UMP party vote|publisher=Al Jazeera English|date=29 November 2014|access-date=29 November 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141130040103/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/11/sarkozy-wins-opposition-ump-party-vote-20141129195438705858.html|archive-date=30 November 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
| leader2_title    = Vice President
| leader2_name     = [[Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet]]
| leader3_title    = General Secretary
| leader3_name     = [[Laurent Wauquiez]]
| foundation       = {{start date and age|df=yes|2002|4|23}}
| abbreviation     = UMP
| founder          = [[Jacques Chirac]]
| dissolution      = {{end date and age|df=yes|2015|5|30}}
| headquarters     = 238, rue de Vaugirard 75015 Paris Cedex 15
| membership       = 143,000{{citation needed|date=February 2015}}
| membership_year  = 2014
| ideology         = [[Neo-Gaullism]]<br>[[Liberal conservatism]]<br>[[Christian democracy]]
| position         = [[Centre-right politics|Centre-right]] to [[right-wing]]
| international    = {{nowrap|[[Centrist Democrat International]]<ref name=Nordsieck/>}}<br>[[International Democracy Union|International Democrat Union]]<ref name=Nordsieck/>
| european         = [[European People's Party]]<ref name=Nordsieck/>
| europarl         = [[European People's Party Group|European People's Party]]
| colours          = {{ublist
 | {{color box|{{party color|Union for a Popular Movement}}}} [[Blue]]
 | {{color box|#FFFFFF}} [[White]]
 | {{colorbox|#E53727}} [[Red]]
}}
| website          = {{cite web|url=http://www.u-m-p.org/ |title=UMP &#124; Union pour un Mouvement Populaire |access-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150521010650/http://www.u-m-p.org/ |archive-date=21 May 2015 }}
| country          = France
| successor        = [[The Republicans (France)|The Republicans]]
}}

The '''Union for a Popular Movement''' ({{langx|fr|link=no|Union pour un mouvement populaire}} {{IPA|fr|ynjɔ̃ puʁ œ̃ muvmɑ̃ pɔpylɛːʁ|}}; '''UMP''' {{IPA|fr|y.ɛmpe|}}) was a [[Liberal conservatism|liberal-conservative]] [[List of political parties in France|political party]] in [[France]], largely inspired by the [[Gaullism|Gaullist]] tradition. During its existence, the UMP was one of the two [[major party|major parties]] in French politics along with the [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]] (PS). In May 2015, the party was succeeded by [[The Republicans (France)|The Republicans]].<ref name=":0">{{cite news|url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/boost-for-sarkozy-as-ump-party-changes-its-name-to-the-republicans-10286171.html|title = Nicolas Sarkozy changes UMP party's name to The Republicans ahead of political comeback|date = 30 May 2015|access-date = 30 May 2015|website = [[The Independent]]|last = Bolton|first = Doug|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150530140105/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/boost-for-sarkozy-as-ump-party-changes-its-name-to-the-republicans-10286171.html|archive-date = 30 May 2015|df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="yahoo1">{{cite web|url = https://news.yahoo.com/frances-sarkozy-renames-ump-party-republicans-211542144.html|title = France's Sarkozy renames UMP party 'The Republicans'|date = 29 May 2015|access-date = 1 June 2015|website = [[Yahoo News]]|last = AFP|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151115170317/http://news.yahoo.com/frances-sarkozy-renames-ump-party-republicans-211542144.html|archive-date = 15 November 2015|df = dmy-all}}</ref>

[[Nicolas Sarkozy]], the then president of the UMP, was elected [[president of France]] in the [[2007 French presidential election]], until he was later defeated by PS candidate [[François Hollande]] in the [[2012 French presidential election|2012 presidential election]]. After the November 2012 party congress, the UMP experienced internal fractioning and was plagued by monetary scandals which forced its president [[Jean-François Copé]] to resign. After Sarkozy's re-election as UMP president in November 2014, he put forward an amendment to change the name of the party to The Republicans, which was approved and came into effect on 30 May 2015.<ref name=":0"/><ref name="yahoo1"/> The UMP enjoyed an [[absolute majority]] in the [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]] from 2002 to 2012, and was a member of the [[European People's Party]] (EPP), the [[Centrist Democrat International]] (CDI) and the [[International Democracy Union|International Democrat Union]] (IDU).

==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"/>

==Ideology and platform==
{{Conservatism in France|Parties}}
The UMP was a party of the [[centre-right politics|centre-right]]<ref name="centreright">{{cite book|first=Thomas M.|last=Magstadt|title=Understanding Politics|edition=9th|publisher=Wadsworth, Cengage Learning|year=2011|page=[https://archive.org/details/understandingpol0009mags/page/183 183]|url=https://archive.org/details/understandingpol0009mags|url-access=registration}}</ref> belonging to the [[Gaullism|Gaullist]] lineage,<ref name="HlousekKopecek">{{cite book|first1=Vít|last1=Hloušek|first2=Lubomír|last2=Kopeček|title=Origin, Ideology and Transformation of Political Parties: East-Central and Western Europe Compared|publisher=Ashgate|year=2010|page=157|isbn=9780754678403|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K79sdX-amEgC&pg=PA157}}</ref><ref name="Slomp2011">{{cite book|first=Hans|last=Slomp|title=Europe, A Political Profile: An American Companion to European Politics|volume=2|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2011|pages=393–394|isbn=9780313391828|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LmfAPmwE6YYC&pg=PA393}}</ref> and was variously described as [[Liberal conservatism|liberal-conservative]],<ref name=Nordsieck/><ref>{{cite book|first=Michael|last=Kaeding|title=Better regulation in the European Union: Lost in Translation or Full Steam Ahead?|publisher=Leiden University Press|year=2007|page=123|isbn=9789087280260|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8dPmxot75ykC&pg=PA123}}</ref> [[Conservatism|conservative]],<ref name=“Vaccari2013”>{{cite book|author=Cristian Vaccari|title=Digital Politics in Western Democracies: A Comparative Study|year=2013|publisher=JHU Press|isbn=9781421411170|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sSCcAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA89|page=89}}</ref> [[Conservative liberalism|conservative-liberal]],<ref name="Slomp2011"/> and [[Christian democracy|Christian democratic]].<ref name=Nordsieck>{{cite web|url-status=dead|url=http://parties-and-elections.eu/france.html|title=France|last=Nordsieck|first=Wolfram|date=2012|website=Parties and Elections in Europe|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150523000823/http://parties-and-elections.eu/france.html|archive-date=23 May 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The UMP believed that each individual's [[destiny]] must be unencumbered and it rejects political systems which "stifle economic freedom". It said that work, merit, innovation and personal initiative must be encouraged to reduce unemployment and boost economic growth; but at the same time, it maintained that adherence to the rule of law and the authority of the state is necessary. In a [[Gaullist]] tradition, the UMP supported solidarity, with the state guaranteeing social protection of less fortunate individuals. But in a more liberal vein, the party always denounced ''l'assistanat'', a French term which can refer to "welfare [[handouts]]".

The party took more nationalist positions at times, and often adopted tough stances against immigration and [[illegal immigration]]. It strongly supported the integration and [[Cultural assimilation|assimilation]] of immigrants into French society and always denounced [[communitarianism]] as a danger to the French [[nation-state]]. However, the UMP traditionally was a strong proponent of [[European integration]] and the [[European Union]], albeit sometimes with a hint of traditional Gaullist [[souverainism]].<ref>[http://www.u-m-p.org/notre-parti/nos-valeurs Nos valeurs] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424005425/http://www.u-m-p.org/notre-parti/nos-valeurs |date=24 April 2013 }} UMP website, consulted 15 March 2013</ref>

Under [[Nicolas Sarkozy]]'s leadership, the UMP adopted a liberal and security-oriented platform. His platform in the [[2007 French presidential election|2007]] and [[2012 French presidential election|2012 presidential election]]s emphasised the ideas of personal responsibility and individual initiative. He developed the idea of "working more to earn more", promising that [[overtime]] hours would not be taxed and employers exonerated from [[non-wage labour costs]].<ref name="BrechonPierre">{{Citation |first1=Bréchon |last1=Pierre|title=Les partis politiques français |publisher=La documentation française |year=2011 |pages=62–65}}</ref> Under his presidency, the government's short-lived [[tax cap]] for high-income earners was denounced by the left but also several centrist and centre-right politicians within or outside the UMP.

Having gained his popularity as a 'hardliner' [[Ministry of the Interior (France)|Interior minister]], Sarkozy's policies also carried a strong law-and-order and tough on crime orientation. He supported tougher sentences for criminals and [[Recidivism|repeat offenders]].<ref name="BrechonPierre"/> As candidate and president, he placed heavy emphasis on immigration and [[national identity]], presenting immigration as a danger to French identity and as source of increased criminality. As president, he imposed stricter limits on [[family reunification]], created a [[French Ministry of Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Codevelopment|Ministry of Immigration, and National Identity]] for three years between 2007 and 2010, launched a controversial national dialogue on national identity and [[French Roma expulsion|expelled thousands]] of [[Romani people|Roma]] from illegal camps.<ref name="BrechonPierre"/>

Critics of the right-wing government denounced what they felt was a rapprochement with the controversial far-right [[National Front (France)|National Front]] (FN). While several members of the UMP's right-wing have indicated that they would favour local alliances with the FN and prefer to vote for a FN candidate over a [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]] or left-wing candidate in runoff elections between the left and the FN; the party's official position continues to reject alliances with the FN at any level but also opposes so-called "[[Republican Front (French Fifth Republic)|republican fronts]]" with the left against the FN.<ref>[http://www.liberation.fr/politiques/2012/06/11/ni-fn-ni-front-republicain-l-ump-choisit-de-ne-pas-choisir_825481 Ni FN ni front républicain: l'UMP choisit de ne pas choisir] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130306052808/http://www.liberation.fr/politiques/2012/06/11/ni-fn-ni-front-republicain-l-ump-choisit-de-ne-pas-choisir_825481 |date=6 March 2013 }} ''[[Libération]]'', 11 June 2012</ref><ref>[http://www.slate.fr/story/57663/droite-ump-fn-convergence UMP/FN: La recomposition des droites, hypothèse crédible ou fantasme mariniste] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521163748/http://www.slate.fr/story/57663/droite-ump-fn-convergence |date=21 May 2013 }} ''Slate'', 17 June 2012</ref>

==Factions==
The UMP's original statutes in 2002 allowed for the organisation of formal factions or movements within the party, to represent the various political families of which it was made up. However, fearing leadership rivalries and divisions, Juppé, Chirac and later Sarkozy 'postponed' the creation of such organised movements indefinitely. Nevertheless, prior to the organisations of formal "movements" in November 2012, there existed informal groupings of like-minded members, either through associations, political clubs, associated political parties or even informal factions.

[[Jean-François Copé]] allowed for the organisation of formal movements within the party following the November 2012 congress. According to the party's statutes, motions backed by at least 10 parliamentarians from 10 departmental federations and which obtain at least 10% support from members at a congress are recognised as movements. They are granted financial autonomy by way of a fixed grant and additional funding in proportion to the votes they obtained; but the sum of funds transferred by the party to its movements can be no larger than 30% of the annual public subsidies the UMP receives from the state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.u-m-p-44.org/IMG/pdf/statuts_nationaux-2.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=15 March 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418045144/http://www.u-m-p-44.org/IMG/pdf/statuts_nationaux-2.pdf |archive-date=18 April 2012 }} Articles 15 à 18 des statuts de l'UMP</ref>

===Official movement and factions===
Six motions representing various ideological tendencies within the party ran to be recognised as official movements following the [[2012 Union for a Popular Movement leadership election|November 2012 congress]]. Five of these motions met the conditions to be recognised as such, and their leaders have since integrated the UMP's leadership structure:

* '''[[The Strong Right]]''' (''La Droite forte''): 27.77%
** '''[[Sarkozysm|Sarkozysts]]''' ([[Conservatism|conservatives]], [[Liberal conservatism|liberal-conservatives]], [[Conservative liberalism|conservative-liberals]], [[social conservatism|social conservatives]]): [[Nicolas Sarkozy]], [[Jean-Claude Gaudin]], [[Jean-Pierre Raffarin]], [[Édouard Balladur]], [[Dominique Bussereau]], [[Michel Barnier]], [[Dominique Perben]], [[Jean-François Mattei]], [[Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres]], [[Charles Millon]], [[Alain Lamassoure]], [[Brice Hortefeux]], [[Joseph Daul]], [[Rachida Dati]], [[Bernard Accoyer]], [[Marie-Hélène Descamps]]
** '''[[Blue Ecology]]''' (centrist [[green politics|ecologists]]): [[Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet]]
* '''[[The Social Right]]''' (''La Droite sociale''): 21.69%
** '''Social Gaullists''' or '''Séguinists''' (left-wing Gaullists, [[Social democracy|social democrats]], [[Eurosceptics]]): [[François Fillon]], [[Roger Karoutchi]], [[Henri Guaino]], [[Yves Guéna]], [[Alain Marleix]]
* '''[[Modern and Humanist France]]''' (''France moderne et humaniste''): 18.17%
** '''[[The Reformers]]''' ([[Classical liberalism|classical liberals]]): [[Hervé Novelli]], [[Gérard Longuet]], [[Alain Madelin]], [[Patrick Devedjian]], [[Philippe Cochet]], [[Jean-Pierre Soisson]], [[Claude Goasguen]], [[Pierre Lellouche]], [[Luc Chatel]], [[Louis Giscard d'Estaing]], [[Jean-Jacques Descamps]]
** '''[[Democratic and Popular]]''' ([[Christian Democracy|Christian democrats]], [[Centrism|centrists]]): [[Philippe Douste-Blazy]], [[Pierre Méhaignerie]], [[Adrien Zeller]], [[Jacques Barrot]], [[Nicole Fontaine]], [[Marc-Philippe Daubresse]], [[Alain Joyandet]], [[Antoine Herth]]
** '''[[The Progressives]]''' ([[Social liberalism|social liberals]], former members of the [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]]): [[Éric Besson]]
** '''[[Christian Democratic Party (France)|Christian Democratic Party]]''' ([[Social conservatism|social conservatives]], Christian democrats): [[Christine Boutin]], [[Jean-Frédéric Poisson]]
* '''[[Gaullism, a way forward for France]]''' (''Le Gaullisme, une voie d'avenir pour la France''): 12.31%
** '''Neo-Gaullists''', formerly known also as '''Chiraquiens''' (right-wing slightly liberal [[Gaullism|Gaullists]], [[Secularism|secular]]-minded conservatives): [[Jacques Chirac]], [[Michèle Alliot-Marie]], Dominique de Villepin, [[Jean-Louis Debré]], [[Jean-François Copé]], [[Alain Juppé]], [[Patrick Ollier]], [[François Baroin]], [[Xavier Bertrand]], [[Xavier Darcos]], [[Valérie Pécresse]], [[Christine Albanel]], [[Éric Wœrth]], [[Roger Karoutchi]], [[Josselin de Rohan]], [[Adrien Gouteyron]], [[Hervé Mariton]]
** '''[[The Free Right]]''' (conservative-liberals, [[Souverainism|souverainists]]): [[Rachid Kaci]], [[Alexandre del Valle]], [[Étienne Blanc]], [[François d'Aubert]]
* '''[[The Popular Right]]''' (''La Droite populaire''): 10.87%
** '''[[Initiative and Liberty Movement]]''' ([[Gaullism|Gaullists]], [[National conservatism|national-conservatives]]): [[Bernard Debré]], [[Eric Raoult]], [[Jean Tiberi]]
** '''[[Rally for France]]''' (national-conservatives, souverainists): [[Charles Pasqua]], [[Lionnel Luca]], [[Jacques Myard]], [[Jean-Jacques Guillet]], [[Philippe Pemezec]]

===Associate parties===
The [[Hunting, Fishing, Nature, Tradition]], the [[Christian Democratic Party (France)|Christian Democratic Party]], the [[Rally for France]] and [[The Progressives]] are associate parties of the UMP. By adhering to these parties, members also adhered to the UMP and could participate in the UMP's inner organisation. The [[Radical Party (France)|Radical Party]] was associated with the UMP from 2002 through 2011.

Overseas parties associated with the UMP included [[O Porinetia To Tatou Ai'a]] in [[French Polynesia]] and [[The Rally–UMP]] in [[New Caledonia]].

===2012 leadership election===
The aforementioned [[2012 Union for a Popular Movement leadership election|November 2012 congress]] saw the division of the party between the two candidates who sought the party's presidency, [[François Fillon]] and [[Jean-François Copé]] – the ''fillonistes'' and ''copéistes''.
* ''Copéistes'' (supporters of [[Jean-François Copé]]): [[Jean-François Copé]], [[Luc Chatel]], [[Michèle Tabarot]], [[Jean-Claude Gaudin]], [[Jean-Pierre Raffarin]], [[Marc-Philippe Daubresse]], [[Hervé Novelli]], [[Christian Jacob (politician)|Christian Jacob]], [[Lionnel Luca]], [[Thierry Mariani]], [[Guillaume Peltier]],<ref>[http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2012/11/06/01002-20121106ARTFIG00630-guillaume-peltier-cope-est-un-homme-de-rassemblement.php Guillaume Peltier : « Copé est un homme de rassemblement »] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115120014/http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2012/11/06/01002-20121106ARTFIG00630-guillaume-peltier-cope-est-un-homme-de-rassemblement.php |date=15 November 2012 }}, ''[[Le Figaro]]'', 6 November 2012</ref> [[Rachida Dati]], [[Brice Hortefeux]], [[Nadine Morano]], [[Jean Sarkozy]],<ref>[http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2012/11/05/01002-20121105ARTFIG00629-jean-sarkozy-officialise-son-soutien-a-jean-francois-cope.php Jean Sarkozy officialise son soutien à Jean-François Copé] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121221195658/http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2012/11/05/01002-20121105ARTFIG00629-jean-sarkozy-officialise-son-soutien-a-jean-francois-cope.php |date=21 December 2012 }}, ''[[Le Figaro]]'', 5 November 2012</ref> [[Valérie Rosso-Debord]] etc.
* ''Fillonistes'' (supporters of [[François Fillon]]): [[François Fillon]], [[Laurent Wauquiez]], [[Valérie Pécresse]], [[Xavier Bertrand]],<ref>[http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2012/10/26/01002-20121026ARTFIG00444-ump-xavier-bertrand-se-rallie-a-francois-fillon.php UMP : Xavier Bertrand se rallie à François Fillon] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121121174701/http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2012/10/26/01002-20121026ARTFIG00444-ump-xavier-bertrand-se-rallie-a-francois-fillon.php |date=21 November 2012 }}, ''[[Le Figaro]]'', 26 October 2012</ref> [[Christian Estrosi]], [[Éric Ciotti]], [[Gérard Larcher]], [[François Baroin]], [[Patrick Devedjian]], [[Dominique Bussereau]], [[Valérie Boyer]], [[Dominique Dord]], [[Patrick Ollier]], [[Éric Woerth]], [[Hubert Falco]], [[Gérard Longuet]] etc.
* Unaligned members: [[Bruno Le Maire]], [[Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet]]. [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] and [[Alain Juppé]] also remained neutral and did not officially endorse any candidate.

==Elected officials==
* '''Deputies:''' 186 members and nine caucusing members in the UMP group in the [[French National Assembly|National Assembly]]. This group also includes some members of the [[Radical Party (France)|Radical Party]], the [[Christian Democratic Party (France)|Christian Democratic Party]] and [[Miscellaneous Right]] deputies.
* '''Senators:''' 131 members in the UMP group in the [[French Senate|Senate]]. This group also includes members of the [[Radical Party (France)|Radical Party]] and [[The Rally-UMP]]
* '''MEPs:''' 24 members in the [[European People's Party (European Parliament group)|EPP Group]] in the [[European Parliament]].

===Major officeholders===
* [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] ([[President of the French Republic|President of the Republic]], 2007–2012)
* [[François Fillon]] ([[Prime Minister of France|Prime Minister]], 2007–2012)
* [[Bernard Accoyer]] ([[List of Presidents of the French National Assembly|President of the National Assembly]])
* [[Jean-Louis Debré]] ([[President of the Constitutional Council of France|President of the Constitutional Council]])
* [[Joseph Daul]] ([[European People's Party (European Parliament group)|President of the EPP Group]] in the [[European Parliament]])

==Popular support==
The UMP's electoral base reflects that of the old [[Rally for the Republic]] (RPR) and, in some cases, that of the [[Union for French Democracy]] (UDF). In the 2007 presidential election, [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] performed best in the east of France – particularly [[Alsace]] (36.2%); [[Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur]] (37.0%) – the wealthy coastal [[Departments of France|department]] of the [[Alpes-Maritimes]] (43.6%) was his best department in France; [[Champagne-Ardenne]] (32.7%) and [[Rhône-Alpes]] (32.7%). These areas were among [[National Front (France)|National Front]] candidate [[Jean-Marie Le Pen]]'s best regions in 2002 and are conservative on issues such as immigration. Sarkozy received a lot of votes from voters who had supported the far-right in April 2002. For example, in the [[Alpes-Maritimes]], Sarkozy performed 21.6% better than Chirac did in 2002 while Le Pen lost 12.6% in five years.<ref name="ifop">{{cite web|url= http://www.ifop.com/?option=com_publication&type=publication&id=31|title= IFOP analysis|url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090711092834/http://www.ifop.com/?option=com_publication&type=publication&id=31|archive-date= 11 July 2009|df= dmy-all}}</ref> Sarkozy also appealed more than average to [[blue-collar]] workers in regions such as northern [[Meurthe-et-Moselle]] and the [[Nord-Pas-de-Calais]], although most of these regions, despite his gains, remain reliably left-wing.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://cdsp.sciences-po.fr/AE.php|title= Results|publisher= CDSP website|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://archive.today/20120604090721/http://cdsp.sciences-po.fr/AE.php|archive-date= 4 June 2012|df= dmy-all}}</ref> The party is also strong in every election in very wealthy suburban or coastal (and, in some cases, urban) areas such as [[Neuilly-sur-Seine]] (72.6% for Sarkozy in the first round),<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/resultats-elections/PR2007/053/035/5335.html|title= Ministry of the Interior results page|url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090718013732/http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/resultats-elections/PR2007/053/035/5335.html|archive-date= 18 July 2009|df= dmy-all}}</ref> [[Saint-Tropez]] (54.79%),<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/resultats-elections/PR2007/093/083/83119.html|title= Ministry of the Interior results page|url-status= live|archive-url= http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20110223235757/http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/resultats-elections/PR2007/093/083/83119.html|archive-date= 23 February 2011|df= dmy-all}}</ref> [[Cannes]] (48.19%)<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/resultats-elections/PR2007/093/006/06029.html|title= Ministry of the Interior results page|url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090309064124/http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/resultats-elections/PR2007/093/006/06029.html|archive-date= 9 March 2009|df= dmy-all}}</ref> or [[Marcq-en-Barœul]] (47.35%).<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/resultats-elections/PR2007/031/059/59378.html|title= Ministry of the Interior results page}}</ref> It is strong in most rural areas, like most conservative parties in the world, but this does not extend to the rural areas of the south of France, areas which are old strongholds of [[republicanism|republican]] and secular ideals. However, in old "clerical" Catholic rural areas, such as parts of [[Lozère]] or [[Cantal]], it is very strong, as was the UDF during its hey day.

However, the UMP does poorly in one of the UDF's best regions, [[Brittany (administrative region)|Brittany]], where the decline of religious practice, a moderate electorate and urbanisation has hurt the UMP and also the UDF. Nicolas Sarkozy performed relatively poorly in departments with a large share of moderate Christian democratic (often centrist or centre-right) voters, such as [[Lozère]] where the [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist]] candidate [[Ségolène Royal]] performed better (44.3%) than [[François Mitterrand]] had in his 1988 left-wing landslide (43.1%). While former president [[Jacques Chirac]], the right's strongman in normally left-wing [[Corrèze]] had always done very well in Corrèze and the surrounding departments, Sarkozy did very poorly and actually lost the department in the 2007 runoff. However, in the [[2009 European Parliament election in France|2009 European election]], the UMP's results in those departments were superior to Sarkozy's first round result (nationally, they were 4% lower).<ref name="ifop" />

==Leadership==
{{cleanup|section|reason=Needs fact-checking, expansion and possibly update|date=May 2013}}
[[File:Sarkozy-congres-ump.jpg|right|thumb|Nicolas Sarkozy speaking at a UMP party congress in 2004]]
===Presidents===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! No. !! Name !! Photo !! Began !! Left
|-
! 1
| [[Alain Juppé]] || [[File:Alain Juppé in Washington DC.jpg|90px|center]] || 17 November 2002 || 16 July 2004
|-
! —
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| {{small|''Interim<br>[[Jean-Claude Gaudin]]<br>[[File:Jean-Claude Gaudin IMG 3321.jpg|90x90px]]''}} || 16 July 2004 || 28 November 2004
|-
! 2
| [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] || [[File:Flickr - europeanpeoplesparty - EPP Summit October 2010 (105).jpg|90px|center]] || 28 November 2004  || 14 May 2007
|-
! —
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|{{collapsible list |title=<br>{{nobold|{{small|''Vacant (Secretaries-general as the head of the party)''}}}}
  |titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:center;font-size:90%;
  |liststyle = text-align:center;<!--font-weight:normal;-->
  | &nbsp;
  | {{small|''[[Pierre Méhaignerie]]: 14 May 2007 – 25 September 2007<br>[[Patrick Devedjian]]: 25 September 2007 – 5 December 2008<br>[[Xavier Bertrand]]: 5 December 2008 – 17 November 2010<br>[[Jean-François Copé]]: 17 November 2010 – 19 November 2012''}}
 }}<br>&nbsp;
| 14 May 2007 || 19 November 2012
|-
! 3
| [[Jean-François Copé]] || [[File:UMP regional elections Paris 2010-01-21 n2 (cropped).jpg|90px|center]] || 19 November 2012 || 15 June 2014
|-
! —
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| {{small|''Interim''}}<br>
{| style="text-align: center;"
|{{small|''[[Alain Juppé]],''}}
|{{small|''[[Jean-Pierre Raffarin]], &''}}
|{{small|''[[François Fillon]]''}}
|-
|[[File:Alain Juppé in Washington DC.jpg|90x90px]]
|[[File:Jean-Pierre Raffarin par Guillaume Kretz.jpg|90x90px]]
|[[File:François Fillon 2010.jpg|90x90px]]
|}
| 15 June 2014 || October 2014
|-
! (2)
| [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] || [[File:Flickr - europeanpeoplesparty - EPP Summit October 2010 (105).jpg|90px|center]] || 30 November 2014  || 30 May 2015
|}

===Vice presidents===
* [[Jean-Claude Gaudin]], executive vice president (2002–2007)
* [[Jean-Claude Gaudin]], [[Pierre Méhaignerie]], [[Jean-Pierre Raffarin]] as vice presidents of the national council (2007–2012)
* [[Luc Chatel]] (2012–2014), associate vice president from January 2013
** joined by [[Laurent Wauquiez]], [[Jean-Claude Gaudin]], [[Christian Estrosi]], [[Brice Hortefeux]], [[Roger Karoutchi]], [[Gérard Longuet]] and [[Henri de Raincourt]] (January 2013 – May 2015)
** joined by [[Hubert Falco]], [[Rachida Dati]], [[Hervé Gaymard]], [[Christian Kert]], [[Jean-François Lamour]], [[Jean-Paul Fournier]], [[Jean-Pierre Audy]], [[Guillaume Peltier]], [[Jean Leonetti]], [[Thierry Mariani]], [[Patrick Ollier]] and [[Bernard Perrut]] (January 2013 – May 2015)

===Presidents of the National Council===
* ''unknown'' (2002–2013)
* [[Jean-Pierre Raffarin]] (2013–2015)

===Secretaries-general===
* [[Philippe Douste-Blazy]] (2002–2004)
* [[Pierre Méhaignerie]] (2004–2007)
* [[Patrick Devedjian]] (2007–2008)
* [[Xavier Bertrand]] (2008–2010)
* [[Jean-François Copé]] (2010–2012)
* [[Michèle Tabarot]] (2012–2015)
** joined by [[Valérie Pécresse]] and [[Marc-Philippe Daubresse]] (January 2013 – 2015)

===Group leaders in the National Assembly===
* [[Jacques Barrot]] (2002–2004)
* [[Bernard Accoyer]] (2004–2007)
* [[Jean-François Copé]] (2007–2010)
* [[Christian Jacob (French politician)|Christian Jacob]] (2010–2015)

===Group leaders in the Senate===
* [[Josselin de Rohan]] (2002–2008)
* [[Henri de Raincourt]] (2008–2009)
* [[Gérard Longuet]] (2009–2011)
* [[Jean-Claude Gaudin]] (2011–2015)

==Election results==
===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
!%
|-
! [[2002 French presidential election|2002]]
| [[Jacques Chirac]] 
| 5,665,855
| 19.88%
| 25,537,956
| 82.21%
|{{yes2|Won}}
|-
! [[2007 French presidential election|2007]]
| rowspan="2" | [[Nicolas Sarkozy]]
| 11,448,663
| 31.18%
| 18,983,138
| 53.06%
|{{yes2|Won}}
|-
! [[2012 French presidential election|2012]]
| 9,753,629
| 27.18%
| 16,860,685
| 48.36%
|{{no|Lost}}
|}

===National Assembly===
{| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center
|+ [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]]
!rowspan=2|Election
!rowspan=2|Leader
!colspan=2|First round
!colspan=2|Second round
!rowspan="2" |Seats
!rowspan=2|Position
!rowspan="2" |Result
|-
!Votes
!%
!Votes
!%
|-
! [[2002 French legislative election|2002]]
| [[Jean-Pierre Raffarin]]
| 8,408,023
| 33.30%
| 10,026,669
| 47.26%
| {{Composition bar|357|577|{{party color|Union for a Popular Movement}}}}
|'''1st'''
| {{yes2|Government}}
|-
! [[2007 French legislative election|2007]]
| [[François Fillon]]
| 10,289,737
| 39.54%
| 9,460,710
| 46.36%
| {{Composition bar|313|577|{{party color|Union for a Popular Movement}}}}
| '''1st'''
| {{yes2|Government}}
|-
! [[2012 French legislative election|2012]]
| [[Jean-François Copé]]
| 7,037,268
| 27.12%
| 8,740,625
| 34.49%
| {{Composition bar|194|577|{{party color|Union for a Popular Movement}}}} 
|2nd
|{{no2|Opposition}}
|}

===European Parliament===
{| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center
|+[[European Parliament]]
! Election
! Leader
! Votes
! %
!Seats
! Position
|-
! [[2004 European Parliament election in France|2004]]
| [[Jean-Pierre Raffarin]]
| 2,856,368
| 16.64%
|  {{Composition bar|17|74|{{party color|Union for a Popular Movement}}}}
| 2nd
|-
! [[2009 European Parliament election in France|2009]]
| [[Xavier Bertrand]]
| 4,799,908
| 27.88%
|  {{Composition bar|29|74|{{party color|Union for a Popular Movement}}}}
| '''1st'''
|-
! [[2014 European Parliament election in France|2014]]
| [[Jean-François Copé]]
| 3,942,766
| 20.80%
|  {{Composition bar|20|74|{{party color|Union for a Popular Movement}}}}
| 2nd
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|conservatism}}
* [[Politics of France]]
* [[List of political parties in France]]
* [[Tree of Liberty (symbol)]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Union pour un mouvement populaire}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20030921181523/http://www.u-m-p.org/ Official website]

{{Union for a Popular Movement}}
{{The Republicans (France)}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Union for a Popular Movement| ]]
[[Category:Gaullist parties]]
[[Category:Political parties disestablished in 2015]]