Rassemblement du Peuple Français
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Rally of the French People
Rassemblement du peuple français |
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| President | Jacques Foccart |
| Founded | April 14, 1947 |
| Dissolved | September 13, 1955 |
| Succeeded by | National Centre of Social Republicans |
| Headquarters | Paris |
| Membership (1948) | 500,000 |
| Ideology |
French nationalism Souverainism Gaullism |
| Political position | Right-wing |
| European affiliation | None |
| International affiliation | None |
| Colours | Red, blue |
The Rally of the French People (French Rassemblement du Peuple Français or RPF) was a French political party, led by Charles de Gaulle.
The RPF was founded by Charles de Gaulle in Strasbourg on April 14, 1947, one year after the resignation of De Gaulle from the presidency of the provisional government and four months after the proclamation of the Fourth Republic. It advocated a constitutional revision in order to institute a presidential government. Indeed, for De Gaulle, the "regime of the parties" which characterized the parliamentary system, did not permit the advent of a strong and efficient state. However, in French Republican culture, democracy and parliamentary sovereignty were inseparable. De Gaulle was accused of wanting to establish a Bonapartist government, a solitary power.
A resolute opponent of the parties (as in his mind, they served particular interests and divided the nation), de Gaulle wanted the RPF to be a rally, not a political party and allowed members of other parties (except Communists and former Vichy regime supporters) to join without compromising their other membership, but this hope was never realized. By 1948, the party counted half a million members, just behind the Communist Party. The RPF was able to gain the support of Maurrasien royalists (of the Action Française), leftist republicans (André Malraux), moderates, christian democrats (Edmond Michelet), radicals (Jacques Chaban-Delmas, Michel Debré), and even socialists and communists. Nevertheless, most of its voters came from the right-wing electorate.
The party enjoyed success in municipal elections (1947), capturing the cities of Lille, Marseille, Bordeaux (with Jacques Chaban-Delmas), Strasbourg, Rennes, Versailles, Le Mans, and Nancy with over 35% of votes. In Paris in 1947, Pierre de Gaulle, the brother of the General, became President of the municipal council, a post similar to mayor. However, the RPF's performance in the Christian Democratic MRP strongholds of rural France was relatively mediocre. Parliamentarians hostile to the RPF delayed cantonal elections in the fear of another Gaullist breakthrough. The hostility of the media and the social events of 1947 limited the party's electoral success. The 1949 cantonal elections, albeit delayed in fear of an RPF breakthrough, produced another RPF victory (although smaller than the victory in the municipal elections). The 1951 election was a relative success for the RPF, but the electoral law (apparentements), created to favor the Third Force coalition (MRP, SFIO, RGR etc.) over the anti-Fourth Republic parties (RPF and the Communists), limited the Gaullist breakthrough. It obtained over 4 million votes (22.3%) and 117 seats. It had hoped for over 200 seats, but the apparentements system limited that.
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