View source for Rally for the Republic

{{Other uses|RPR (disambiguation)}}
{{distinguish|text=United States Congressman Ron Paul's [[Campaign for Liberty]]}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox political party
| country          = France
| name             = Rally for the Republic
| native_name      = Rassemblement pour la République
| logo             = rpr.png{{!}}class=skin-invert
| logo_size        = 150
| colorcode        = {{party color|Rally for the Republic}}
| president        = [[Michèle Alliot-Marie]] (last)
| abbreviation     = RPR
| founder          = [[Jacques Chirac]]
| foundation       = {{start date and age|1976|12|05|df=y}}
| predecessor      = [[Union of Democrats for the Republic]]
| dissolution      = {{end date and age|2002|09|21|df=y}}
| merged           = {{nowrap|[[Union for a Popular Movement]]}}
| ideology         = {{ubl|class=nowrap
 |[[Gaullism#Political legacy after de Gaulle|Gaullism]]<ref name="Louis2011">{{cite book|author=Carol Diane St Louis|title=Negotiating Change: Approaches to and the Distributional Implications of Social Welfare and Economic Reform|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EW-zz_H54LMC&pg=PA105|access-date=19 August 2012|year=2011|publisher=Stanford University|pages=76,105|id=STANFORD:RW793BX2256}}</ref>
 |[[Conservatism]]<ref name="Bell2002">{{cite book|author=David S. Bell|title=French Politics Today|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s2lIt4ssdQMC&pg=PA79|access-date=19 August 2012|date=4 October 2002|publisher=Manchester University Press|isbn=978-0-7190-5876-9|page=79}}</ref>
 |[[Liberal conservatism]]<ref name="Louis2011"/>
 |[[Populism]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=McLean |first1=Iain |last2=McMillan |first2=Alistair |title=The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics |date=2003 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0192802767 |page=199}}</ref>
 |'''1970s:'''
 |[[Paternalistic conservatism]]<ref>Charles Sowerwine, "France since 1870" (2018)</ref>}}
| position         = {{nowrap|[[Centre-right politics|Centre-right]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Le Pen shadow over French poll - June 9, 2002 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/06/08/france.elex/index.html |access-date=18 June 2024 |work=CNN |publisher=CNN |date=9 June 2002}}</ref> to [[Right-wing politics|right-wing]]<ref name="Louis2011"/>}}
| european         = [[European People's Party]] (1999–2002)
| europarl         = [[European Progressive Democrats|EPD]] (1976–84)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.europe-politique.eu/union-pour-l-europe.htm |title=Groupe Union pour l'Europe UPE |publisher=Europe-politique.eu |access-date=2016-07-21}}</ref><br />
[[European Democratic Alliance|EDA]] (1984–95)<br />[[Union for Europe|UFE]] (1995–99)<br />[[European People's Party Group|EPP-ED]] (1999–2002)
| international    = [[International Democracy Union|International Democrat Union]]
| colours          = {{ublist
 | {{color box|{{party color|Rally for the Republic}}}} [[Blue]]
 | {{color box|#FFFFFF}} [[White]]
 | {{colorbox|#E53727}} [[Red]]
}}
}}
The '''Rally for the Republic''' ({{langx|fr|Rassemblement pour la République}} {{IPA|fr|ʁasɑ̃bləmɑ̃ puʁ la ʁepyblik|}}; '''RPR''' {{IPA|fr|ɛʁ pe ɛʁ|}}) was a [[Gaullism#Political legacy after de Gaulle|Gaullist]]<ref name="Opello2006">{{cite book|author=Katherine A. R. Opello|title=Gender Quotas, Parity Reform, and Political Parties in France|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MvFxJwnrvpgC&pg=PA2|access-date=19 August 2012|year=2006|publisher=Lexington Books|isbn=978-0-7391-1310-3|page=2}}</ref><ref name="Winter2008">{{cite book|author=Bronwyn Winter|title=Hijab & the Republic: Uncovering the French Headscarf Debate|url=https://archive.org/details/hijabrepublicunc0000wint|url-access=registration|access-date=19 August 2012|year=2008|publisher=Syracuse University Press|isbn=978-0-8156-3174-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/hijabrepublicunc0000wint/page/74 74]}}</ref><ref name="DORFMANDUIGNAN1991">{{cite book|author1=GERALD A. DORFMAN|author2=PETER J. DUIGNAN|title=POLITICS IN WEST EUROPE (2ND ED)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=onMHiVW112AC&pg=PA63|access-date=19 August 2012|date=1 September 1991|publisher=Hoover Press|isbn=978-0-8179-9122-7|page=63}}</ref><ref name="GormanHamilton1992">{{cite book|author1=R. F. Gorman|author2=J. Hamilton|author3=S. J. Hammond |author4=E. Kalner |author5=W. Phelan |author6=G. G. Watson |author7=Keith Mitchell|title=AP Government & Politics (REA) – The Best Test Prep for the Advanced Placement|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sBiZX-0Ou7YC&pg=PA102|access-date=19 August 2012|date=9 December 1992|publisher=Research & Education Assoc.|isbn=978-0-87891-884-3|page=102}}</ref> and [[Conservatism in France|conservative]]<ref name="Prunier1995">{{cite book|author=Gérard Prunier|title=The Rwanda Crisis: History of a Genocide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XYIJcrgzgQ0C&pg=PA282|access-date=19 August 2012|year=1995|publisher=C. Hurst|isbn=978-1-85065-372-1|pages=282–}}</ref><ref name="Givens2005">{{cite book|author=Terri E. Givens|title=Voting Radical Right in Western Europe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SDY2CGcPJwkC&pg=PA105|access-date=19 August 2012|date=10 October 2005|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-85134-3|page=105}}</ref><ref name="Cook2004">{{cite book|author=Rhodes Cook|title=The Presidential Nominating Process: A Place for Us?|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1Lld7J5tZuwC&pg=PA118|access-date=19 August 2012|year=2004|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-0-7425-2594-8|page=118}}</ref><ref name="Banchoff1999">{{cite book|author=T. Banchoff|title=Legitimacy and the European Union|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GgvLEFPY8l4C&pg=PA127|access-date=26 August 2012|date=28 June 1999|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-18188-4|page=127}}</ref> [[List of political parties in France|political party in France]]. Originating from the [[Union of Democrats for the Republic]] (UDR), it was founded by [[Jacques Chirac]] in 1976 and presented itself as the heir of [[Gaullism|Gaullist]] politics.<ref name="IgnaziYsmal1998">{{cite book|author1=Piero Ignazi|author2=Colette Ysmal|title=The Organization of Political Parties in Southern Europe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dJujgAT1s8AC&pg=PA26|access-date=19 August 2012|year=1998|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-275-95612-7|page=26}}</ref><ref name="Baumgartner2000">{{cite book|author=Jody C. Baumgartner|title=Modern Presidential Electioneering: An Organizational and Comparative Approach|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BFTe2Mo6NN4C&pg=PA50|access-date=19 August 2012|year=2000|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-275-96760-4|page=50}}</ref> It was one of the two major parties in French politics, alongside the [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]]. On 21 September 2002, the RPR was merged into the Union for the Presidential Majority, later renamed the [[Union for a Popular Movement]] (UMP).

==History==

===The defense of the Gaullist identity against President Giscard d'Estaing (1976–1981)===

In 1974, the divisions in the Gaullist movement permitted the election of [[Valéry Giscard d'Estaing]] to the Presidency of the French Republic. Representing the pro-European and pseudo-[[Orleanist]] centre-right, he was the first non-Gaullist to become head of state since the beginning of the [[French Fifth Republic|Fifth Republic]] in 1958. However, the Gaullist Party remained the main force in parliament and [[Jacques Chirac]] was appointed prime minister. Chirac resigned in August 1976 and in December 1976 the RPR was created in order to restore the Gaullist domination over the institutions of the French republic.

Though retaining its support for the president's government, the RPR criticized the executive duo composed of President Giscard d'Estaing and Prime Minister [[Raymond Barre]]. Its first master stroke was in March 1977 the election of Chirac as Mayor of Paris against [[Michel d'Ornano]], a close friend of President Giscard d'Estaing. Nevertheless, it was faced with the creation of the [[Union for French Democracy]] (UDF), a confederation of the parties supporting the presidential policies and which competed for the leadership over the right. Consequently, the stake of the [[1978 French legislative election|1978 legislative election]] was not only the victory of the right over the left, but the domination of the RPR over the UDF in the parliamentary majority.

Given the increasing unpopularity of the executive duo, and with a view to the next presidential election, the RPR became increasingly critical. In December 1978, six months before the European Parliament election, the ''Call of Cochin'' signed by Chirac denounced the appropriation of France by "the foreign party," which sacrificed the national interests and the independence of the country in order to build a federal Europe. This accusation clearly targeted Giscard d'Estaing. RPR leaders contrasted this as coming from the social doctrine of Gaullism as opposed to a perceived liberalism on the part of the President.

As RPR candidate at the [[1981 French presidential election|1981 presidential election]], Chirac formulated vigorous condemnations of President [[Valéry Giscard d'Estaing|Giscard d'Estaing]], who ran for a second term. Eliminated in the first round, Chirac refused to give an endorsement for the second round, though he did say privately that he would vote for Giscard d'Estaing. In fact, the RPR was expected to work for the defeat of the incumbent president.

[[File:RPR old logo.png|thumb|right|200px|The first logo of the RPR recalls the Gaullist inheritance with the [[Cross of Lorraine]], symbol of the [[Free French]], drawn on top of the [[phrygian cap]] (normally worn by [[Marianne]]).]]

===Opposition to President Mitterrand and abandonment of Gaullist doctrine (1981–1995)===
[[File:24.1.82. Assises du RPR à Toulouse (1982) - 53Fi5686.jpg|thumb|RPR meeting in 1982.]]
After 1981, the RPR opposed with energy the policy of the [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]] President [[François Mitterrand]] and the left-wing governments. The RPR denounced the plan of [[nationalization]]s as the setting up of a "collectivist society". Impressed by the electoral success of [[New Right]] conservatives led by [[Ronald Reagan]] in the United States of America and by [[Margaret Thatcher]] in the United Kingdom, it gradually abandoned the Gaullist doctrine, claiming less control of the state in the economy. During its 1983 congress, it advocated a [[economic liberalism|liberal economic]] programme and the pursuit of the European construction, accepting the supranationality.

This new political line contributed to the reconciliation between the RPR and the UDF. In this, they presented a common list at the 1984 European Parliament election and a platform to prepare the winning [[1986 French legislative election|1986 legislative election]]. However, a rivalry appeared between Jacques Chirac and Raymond Barre who competed for the right-wing leadership with a view to the next presidential election. Furthermore, if the right-wing coalition benefited from the failures of the Socialist power, it was confronted with the emergence of the [[National Front (France)|National Front]] in the far right. The RPR was divided about the possibility of alliance with this party.

In 1986, being the leader of the main party of the new parliamentary majority and accepting the principle of the "[[Cohabitation (government)|cohabitation]]" with President Mitterrand (contrary to Barre), Chirac became again prime minister. He led a liberal economic policy inspired by [[Anglosphere|Anglo-Saxon]] examples, selling many public companies, and abolishing the [[wealth tax]]. His Interior Minister [[Charles Pasqua]] led a policy of restriction of immigration. If Chirac acceded in the second round of the [[1988 French presidential election|1988 presidential election]] despite Raymond Barre's candidacy, he was defeated by Mitterrand.

While the RPR returned in the opposition, the leadership of Chirac was challenged by younger politicians who wished to renew the right. Furthermore, the abandonment of the Gaullist doctrine was criticized by [[Charles Pasqua]] and [[Philippe Séguin]]. They tried to take him the RPR lead in 1990, in vain. However, the division re-appeared with the [[1992 French Maastricht Treaty referendum|1992 Maastricht referendum]]. Chirac voted "yes" whereas Séguin and Pasqua campaigned for "no".

The "[[Union for France]]", a RPR/UDF coalition, won the [[1993 French legislative election|1993 legislative election]]. Chirac refused to re-cohabitate with Mitterrand, and [[Edouard Balladur]] became prime minister. Balladur promised that he would not be a candidate at the [[1995 French presidential election|1995 presidential election]]. Nevertheless, polls indicated Balladur was the favorite in the presidential race and, furthermore, he was supported by most of the right-wing politicians. He decided finally to run against Chirac. However, they claimed that they remained friends for 30 years.

The Socialists being weakened after the 14 years of Mitterrand's presidency, the main competition was within the right, between Balladur and Chirac, two Neo-Gaullists. Balladur proposed a liberal program and took advantage of the "positive results" of his cabinet, whereas Chirac advocated [[Keynesian economics]] to reduce the "social fracture" and criticized the "dominant ideas", targeting Balladur. Chirac won the [[1995 French presidential election|1995 presidential election]].

===The RPR became the presidential party (1995–2002)===
{{Conservatism in France|Parties}}
After his election as [[President of France]], Jacques Chirac nominated [[Alain Juppé]], "the best among us" according to him, as prime minister. But the majority of the personalities who had supported Balladur during the presidential campaign were excluded from the government. The ''balladuriens'' (such as [[Nicolas Sarkozy]]) were completely isolated in the party too.

In November 1995, Prime Minister [[Alain Juppé]] announced a plan to reform the French [[welfare state]] which sparked wide social conflict. The executive duo became very unpopular and some months later President Chirac dissolved the National Assembly. His supporters lost the [[1997 French legislative election|1997 legislative election]]. Consequently, he was forced to cohabitate with a left-wing cabinet led by [[Lionel Jospin]] until 2002.

Séguin succeeded to Juppé as RPR leader, but he criticized the ascendancy of President Chirac over the party. He resigned during the 1999 European campaign while Pasqua presented a dissident list to advocate the Gaullist idea of a "Europe of nations". Pasqua founded the [[Rally for France]] (RPF) and obtained more votes than the RPR official list led by [[Nicolas Sarkozy]]. [[Michèle Alliot-Marie]], former Minister of Youth and sports, was elected RPR leader, against the will of President Chirac who supported covertly an unfamous candidate [[Jean-Paul Delevoye]]. Besides, the RPR was involved in many financing scandals. For instance, the party was suspected to pay its employees with the funds of Paris's municipality. The RPR lost the mayoralty of Paris in 2001, in aid of the left.

After the [[1999 European Parliament election in France|1999 European elections]], the RPR joined the [[European People's Party (European Parliament group)|European People's Party–European Democrats]] (EPP-ED) parliamentary group, and became a full member of the [[European People's Party]] (EPP) in December 2001.<ref name="JansenHecke2011">{{cite book|author1=Thomas Jansen|author2=Steven Van Hecke|title=At Europe's Service: The Origins and Evolution of the European People's Party|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kXEA8XGdEb8C&pg=PA66|access-date=19 August 2012|date=28 June 2011|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-3-642-19413-9|page=66}}</ref>

Before the [[2002 French presidential election|2002 presidential election]], both RPR and non-RPR supporters of Chirac gathered in an association: the "Union on the move". It became the [[Union for a Popular Movement]] (UMP) after the 21 April 2002 electoral shock. Chirac was re-elected and the new party won the [[2002 French legislative election|legislative election]].

Prior to its replacement by the UMP, the RPR had been increasingly embroiled in judicial proceedings following from the [[corruption scandals in the Paris region]]. Its former secretary-general [[Alain Juppé]] was sentenced in 2004 for a related felony. In 2007, a formal judicial investigation was opened against Jacques Chirac himself.

== Election results ==

=== Presidential ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+[[President of the French Republic]]
! rowspan="2" |Election year
! rowspan="2" |Candidate
! colspan="3" |1st round
! colspan="3" |2nd round
! rowspan="2" |Result
|-
!Votes
!%
!Rank
!Votes
!%
!Rank
|-
![[1981 French presidential election|1981]]
| rowspan="4" |[[Jacques Chirac]]
|5,225,848
|18.00
|3rd
|colspan=3 {{N/A}}
|{{no|Lost}}
|-
![[1988 French presidential election|1988]]
|6,063,514
|19.94
|2nd
|14,218,970
|45.98
|2nd
|{{no|Lost}}
|-
![[1995 French presidential election|1995]]
|6,348,375
|20.84
|2nd
|15,763,027
|52.64
|1st
|{{yes2|Won}}
|-
![[2002 French presidential election|2002]]
|5,665,855
|19.88
|1st
|25,537,956
|82.21
|1st
|{{yes2|Won}}
|}

=== National Assembly ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+ [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]]
! rowspan="2" |Election year
! rowspan="2" |Leader
! colspan="2" |1st round
! colspan="2" |2nd round
! rowspan="2" |Seats
! rowspan="2" |+/−
! rowspan="2" |Rank
! rowspan="2" |Result
|-
!Votes
!%
!Votes
!%
|-
![[1978 French legislative election|1978]]
| rowspan="5" |[[Jacques Chirac]]
|6,462,462
|22.62
|6,651,756
|26.11
|{{Composition bar|150|491|{{party color|Rally for the Republic}}}}
|{{decrease}} 33
|1st
|{{yes2|Government}}
|-
![[1981 French legislative election|1981]]
|5,231,269
|20.81
|4,174,302
|22.35
|{{Composition bar|85|491|{{party color|Rally for the Republic}}}}
|{{decrease}} 63
|2nd
|{{no2|Opposition}}
|-
![[1986 French legislative election|1986]]
|3,143,224
|11.22
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
|{{Composition bar|149|573|{{party color|Rally for the Republic}}}}
|{{Increase}} 64
|2nd
|{{yes2|Government}}
|-
![[1988 French legislative election|1988]]
|4,687,047
|19.19
|4,688,493
|23.09
|{{Composition bar|126|577|{{party color|Rally for the Republic}}}}
|{{decrease}} 23
|3rd
|{{no2|Opposition}}
|-
![[1993 French legislative election|1993]]
|5,032,496
|20.08
|5,741,629
|28.99
|{{Composition bar|242|577|{{party color|Rally for the Republic}}}}
|{{Increase}} 116
|1st
|{{yes2|Government}}
|-
![[1997 French legislative election|1997]]
|[[Alain Juppé]]
|3,983,257
|15.65
|5,714,354
|22.46
|{{Composition bar|139|577|{{party color|Rally for the Republic}}}}
|{{decrease}} 103
|2nd
|{{no2|Opposition}}
|}

=== European Parliament ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Election year
!Main Candidate
!Votes
!%
!Seats
!+/−
!European Parliament Group
|-
![[1979 European Parliament election in France|1979]]
|[[Jacques Chirac]]
|3,301,980
|16.31
|{{composition bar|15|81|{{party color|Rally for the Republic}}}}
|–
|[[European Progressive Democrats]]
|-
! rowspan="2" |[[1984 European Parliament election in France|1984]]
|[[Simone Veil]] (UDF)
|8,683,596
|43.03 
|{{composition bar|19|81|{{party color|Rally for the Republic}}}}
|{{Increase}} 4
|[[European Democratic Alliance]]
|-
| colspan="6" |joint list with [[Union for French Democracy]], which together won 41 seats.
|-
! rowspan="2" |[[1989 European Parliament election in France|1989]]
|[[Valéry Giscard d'Estaing]] ([[Republican Party (France)|PR]])
|5,242,038
|28.88
|{{composition bar|14|81|{{party color|Rally for the Republic}}}}
|{{decrease}} 5
|[[European Democratic Alliance]]
|-
| colspan="6" |joint list with [[Union for French Democracy]], which together won 26 seats.
|-
! rowspan="2" |[[1994 European Parliament election in France|1994]]
|[[Dominique Baudis]] ([[Centre of Social Democrats|CDS]])
|4,985,574
|25.58
|{{composition bar|14|87|{{party color|Rally for the Republic}}}}
|{{Steady}}
|[[European Democratic Alliance]]
[[Union for Europe]]
|-
| colspan="6" |joint list with [[Union for French Democracy]], which together won 28 seats.
|-
![[1999 European Parliament election in France|1999]]
|[[Nicolas Sarkozy]]
|2,263,476
|12.82
|{{composition bar|12|87|{{party color|Rally for the Republic}}}}
|{{decrease}} 3
|[[European People's Party Group|European People's Party - European Democrats]]
|}

== Past presidents ==
*[[Jacques Chirac]], 1976–1994
*[[Alain Juppé]], 1994–1997
*[[Philippe Séguin]], 1997–1999
*[[Nicolas Sarkozy]], 1999 (interim)
*[[Michèle Alliot-Marie]], 1999–2002
*[[Serge Lepeltier]], 2002 (interim)

==RPR Assembly Groups==
*1978–1981: 154 members including 11 caucusing (out of 491)
*1981–1986: 88 members including 9 caucusing (out of 491)
*1986–1988: 155 members including 8 caucusing (out of 577)
*1988–1993: 130 members including 3 caucusing (out of 577)
*1993–1997: 257 members including 12 caucusing (out of 577).
*1997–2002: 140 members including 6 caucusing (out of 577)

==See also==
{{Portal|France|Conservatism}}
* [[Gaullism]]
* [[Politics of France]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{in lang|fr}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20020628005224/http://decrypt.politique.free.fr/partis/rpr/rpr.shtml Unofficial history and description]
*{{in lang|fr}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20060220183505/http://www.election-politique.com/rpr.php Unofficial timeline]
{{The Republicans (France)}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rally for the Republic}}
[[Category:Rally for the Republic| ]]
[[Category:Gaullist parties]]
[[Category:Conservative parties in France]]