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| Les Républicains (political party) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Les Républicains |
| Native name | Les Républicains |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Predecessor | Union for a Popular Movement |
| Headquarters | Paris |
| Position | Centre-right to right-wing |
| International | International Democrat Union |
| European | European People's Party (associate) |
| Colors | Blue |
Les Républicains (political party) is a French political party formed in 2015 as the successor to the Union for a Popular Movement and rooted in Gaullist, liberal-conservative, and Christian-democratic traditions. The party has been a principal centre-right force in French politics, competing with Socialist Party (France), La République En Marche!, and National Rally across presidential, legislative, and local elections. Prominent figures associated with the party include Nicolas Sarkozy, François Fillon, Alain Juppé, Valérie Pécresse, and Laurent Wauquiez.
Les Républicains traces institutional descent from the Rally of the French People, Union for the New Republic, and Rally for the Republic, linking to the political career of Charles de Gaulle and later leaders such as Georges Pompidou and Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. The party's immediate antecedent, the Union for a Popular Movement, united factions from Rally for the Republic, Democratic Force (France), and parts of Liberal Democracy (France) following the 2002 legislative context shaped by Jacques Chirac and the 2002 French legislative election. In 2015, amid leadership contests involving Nicolas Sarkozy and debates with François Hollande, the UMP rebranded as Les Républicains during a convention attended by delegates including Bruno Le Maire, Jean-François Copé, and Xavier Bertrand. Major historical moments include the 2012 presidential campaign of Nicolas Sarkozy, the 2017 primary contested by Alain Juppé and François Fillon, the fallout from the Fillon affair during the 2017 presidential election, and subsequent reorientations under leaders such as Laurent Wauquiez, Christian Jacob, Éric Ciotti, and Valérie Pécresse. The party's role in regional politics involves alliances and rivalries with The Republicans (UK)-unrelated groups, coordination in municipal contests like the 2020 French municipal elections, and responses to national crises such as the Yellow Vests movement and debates following the 2015 Paris attacks.
Les Républicains articulates positions drawing from Gaullism, Christian democracy, liberal conservatism, and strands of economic liberalism associated with figures like François Fillon and Bruno Le Maire. Its platform has emphasized tax reform proposals advocated by Valéry Giscard d'Estaing-era liberals, labor market adjustments resonant with Nicolas Sarkozy-era reforms, and security measures echoed in policies promoted by Alain Juppé and Éric Ciotti. On European matters the party has oscillated between pro‑European stances aligned with the European People's Party and sceptical positions influenced by debates involving Marine Le Pen and Jean‑Luc Mélenchon. Policy proposals have addressed issues in areas impacted by legislation such as the Pacte Law and debates over the Schengen Agreement and Treaty of Maastricht.
The party's internal structure includes a federal council, a national bureau, and local federations corresponding to administrative divisions like Île-de-France, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, and Hauts-de-France. Key leadership contests have featured figures such as Nicolas Sarkozy, Bruno Le Maire, Alain Juppé, François Fillon, Laurent Wauquiez, Christian Jacob, Éric Ciotti, and Valérie Pécresse. Parliamentary groups in the National Assembly and the Senate have been led by personalities including Christian Jacob and Bruno Retailleau, coordinating legislative strategy with deputies like Gérard Larcher and senators from constituencies including Gironde, Bouches-du-Rhône, and Nord. The party maintains affiliated think tanks and youth wings connected to institutions such as Sciences Po, École nationale d'administration, and policy groups that interact with European structures like the European People's Party.
Les Républicains and its predecessors have contested presidential elections featuring candidates like Nicolas Sarkozy (2007, 2012), François Fillon (2017), and Valérie Pécresse (2022). In legislative contests the party has held majorities and oppositional roles across sessions of the Fifth Republic's National Assembly of France, reflected in results from the 2002 French legislative election, 2012 French legislative election, 2017 French legislative election, and 2022 French legislative election. Regional strongholds include electoral successes in regions such as Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and Nouvelle-Aquitaine, while losses have occurred to La République En Marche! and National Rally in key departments like Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis. European Parliament elections have seen Les Républicains align with the European People's Party group and compete with lists from Rassemblement National and En Marche!.
Within the party, factions include Gaullists linked to Jacques Chirac's legacy, liberal-conservatives associated with François Fillon and Bruno Le Maire, social conservatives sympathetic to Éric Ciotti, and centrist reformists aligned with Alain Juppé and Valérie Pécresse. Debates among these currents have revolved around immigration proposals contested against positions of Marine Le Pen, taxation policies counterposed to platforms from Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Benoît Hamon, and security approaches compared with initiatives by Emmanuel Macron and Gérald Darmanin. Factional dynamics manifest in endorsements during primaries and in strategic alliances at municipal and regional levels involving partners such as MoDem and occasional negotiations with Les Centristes.
The party has been affected by controversies including the Fillon affair involving alleged misuse of public funds, the Bygmalion affair connected to the 2012 presidential campaign financing of Nicolas Sarkozy, and local scandals implicating municipal officials in departments like Var and Hauts-de-Seine. Internal disputes over candidate selections led to publicized ruptures with figures such as Jean-François Copé and Franck Riester, while ethical questions have prompted legal inquiries and parliamentary debates involving prosecutors, magistrates, and anti-corruption institutions influenced by rulings from courts including the Court of Appeal of Paris.
Les Républicains participates in transnational networks such as the International Democrat Union and maintains associations with the European People's Party at European level, collaborating with parties like Christian Democratic Union of Germany, People's Party (Spain), Forza Italia, The Republicans (Italy), and Austrian People's Party. The party's foreign-policy positions have engaged with debates over relations with NATO, ties to United States administrations, stances on Russia and Ukraine, and positions regarding Middle East diplomacy referencing actors such as Israel and Iran. International exchanges include bilateral contacts with conservative parties in United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, and transatlantic dialogues with think tanks in Washington, D.C..