Rassemblement pour la République
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Rally for the Republic
Rassemblement pour la République |
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| President | Michèle Alliot-Marie (last) |
| Founder | Jacques Chirac |
| Founded | 5 December 1976 |
| Dissolved | 21 September 2002 |
| Preceded by | Union of Democrats for the Republic |
| Merged into | Union for a Popular Movement |
| Ideology |
Neo-Gaullism Conservatism Conservative liberalism Republicanism |
| Political position | Centre-right to Right-wing |
| European affiliation | European People's Party (1999–2002) |
| International affiliation | International Democrat Union |
| European Parliament group |
EPD (1976–84) UFE (1995–99) EPP-ED (1999–2002) |
| Colours | Blue Red |
EPD (1976–84)
The Rally for the Republic (French: Rassemblement pour la République French pronunciation: [ʁa.sɑ̃.blə.mɑ̃.puʁ.la.ʁe.pyˈblik]; RPR French pronunciation: [ɛr.peˈɛr]), was a Neo-Gaullist and conservativepolitical 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 Gaullist politics. On 21 September 2002, the RPR was merged into the Union for the Presidential Majority, later renamed the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP).
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 Orleanist centre-right, he was the first non-Gaullist rising to the head of the state since the beginning of the 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 republican institutions.
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 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.
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