Union for the French democracy

See also: UDF

The Union for the French democracy ( UDF ) is a French political party center, center-right or Center-left, according to the points of view, of inspiration Christian-Democrat and layman, having been founded in 1978. November 30th, 2007, an extraordinary congress of UDF voted the integration of the party in the democratic Mouvement (MoDem), initiated by Francois Bayrou after the presidential election of 2007. Formally and according to the right of associations, the legal existence of UDF remains for one three years transitional period. UDF delegates to the authorities democratic Mouvement the “responsibility for the action and expression communes”, the other national authorities and local of UDF having “to be integrated into the corresponding authorities of the democratic Mouvement”. For this transitional period, “the legal, material and moral interests” of UDF must be “guaranteed and managed by an office from twenty to thirty members designated by the Congress, on a proposal from the President whose mandate is extended”. Part of the executives and militants opposed to this integration created the Nouveau Center whose certain members always claim old UDF.

UDF is member of the European Democratic party (PDE), which sits at the the European Parliament within the group of the Alliance of the democrats and the liberals for Europe. Francois Bayrou is the president of UDF and the copresident of PDE.

History of UDF

Origins

UDF was in the beginning based in 1978 by Michel Poniatowski on the idea of Jean Lecanuet and Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber to help the president Valery Giscard d'Estaing to have a party supporting it at the time of the legislative elections. It was a confederation various parties of the center and line not Gaulliste. The name comes from the title of its book French Démocratie . It then included/understood six components which remained each independent political party:
  • the Center of the social democrats (CDS) finding his origin with MRP, left Christian-Democrat attached to the values the democracy and taking as a starting point the social doctrines of the Catholic church. The CDS became democratic Force (FD) in 1995;
  • the socialist democratic Movement of social democrat France then Left (PSD) amalgamated in democratic Force (FD) in 1995;
  • the National federation of the clubs Prospects and Realities (CPR), become Popular party for the French democracy (PPDF);
  • the Republican party (PR), heir to the National federation of the republicans and independent, the party of origin of Giscard d'Estaing. PR left UDF in 1998 to become liberal Démocratie (DLL); a minority of DLL however chooses to remain within UDF and constituted the independent and liberal republican Pôle (PRIL)
  • the Radical party (officially radical Republican party and radical socialist, known as also Radical party valoisien) chaired in 1978 by Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber. In 2002, the majority of the valoisiens integrated the news UMP of Jacques Chirac and Alain Juppe;
  • Direct Adherent of UDF (initials UDF-AD), non-members of the one of these movements.

Centrism

After having been success in the Years 1970/1980 following the election of Valery Giscard d'Estaing to the presidency of the Republic and the government of Raymond Barre, UDF appeared in an increasing way like a trade union of elected officials and the natural partner of coalition of RPR. The “opening” led by François Mitterrand made it possible nevertheless the Socialist party to obtain the specific support of a center group specific to the National Assembly (Union of the center, UDC) and the participation of several historical members of UDF in the governments of Michel Rocard, Edith Cresson and Pierre Bérégovoy, in particular Jean-Pierre Soisson. PS and centrists of the “presidential majority” were also combined at the time of the cantonal elections and regional of 1992.

UDF was the allied one of RPR to the legislative elections of 1993 within the Union for France, and took part in the governments of Edouard Balladur then of Alain Juppe. In 1995, the former Prime Minister Raymond Barre becomes mayor and president of the urban community of the second agglomeration of France: Lyon.

UDF started to disaggregate with the loss of influence of its founder who does not succeed in any more overcoming the divergences of the currents of thought within the movement. There was besides no UDF candidate with presidential of 1988 and 1995: Raymond Barre, candidate in 1988, was only connected, and UDF tore in 1995 between partisans of Edouard Balladur (CDS and part of PR) and of Jacques Chirac (like Alain Madelin, Charles Million, and the whole of the PPDF behind Hervé de Charrette).

The regional elections of 1998 involved a scission. Whereas several presidents of area had been elected with the voices of the extreme right-hand side, Francois Bayrou, then Democratic president de Force and Alain Madelin, president of liberal Démocratie, divided on the judgment of these agreements. It was finally the position of Francois Bayrou - refusal of alliances with the Front National (FN) - which carried it and liberal Démocratie chooses to leave UDF later a few weeks. Some dissidents of DLL like Gilles de Robien and François Léotard decided to remain in UDF, within a independent and liberal republican Pôle (PRIL).

The “UDF News”

Elected official chair of UDF the same year, Francois Bayrou decided to unify the various components of UDF to create a new party, marked in the center. In November 1998, with the Congress founder of Lille, the members approved the principle of fusion between FD, the PRIL and the UDF-AD, while the Radical party (PR) and the PPDF preserved their autonomy: the Nouvelle UDF had been born.

Quickly, Francois Bayrou affirmed her will to take her distances with respect to RPR, leading itself an UDF list to the European elections, vis-a-vis list RPR-DL. But this strategy caused oppositions within the UDF elected officials who were numerous to choose, at the time of the presidential election of 2002, to support Jacques Chirac rather than Francois Bayrou. In spite of her relative success, Francois Bayrou, arrived in fourth position with 7% of the voices, could not be opposed to the creation of the UMP, launched by Jacques Chirac and Alain Juppe as of the following day it on Sunday, April 21, 2002 to unify the parties of the right-hand side and the center.

Most of the UDF elected officials left the movement to join UMP. However, at the legislative elections of 2002, UDF arrived, with 29 deputies, to preserve a political group at the National Assembly. This platform enabled him on several occasions to affirm its difference by being opposed to the government Jean-Pierre Raffarin.

In 2003, after an electoral campaign directed by Benjamin Ferniot, principal private secretary of Francois Bayrou, Christian Blanc, connected radical left, former chairman of Air France then of the RATP, being presented by Mrs Anne-Marie Idrac, appointed UDF outgoing, gained with the first turn the seat of deputy of the third district of Yvelines.

UDF found a level of 12% of the votes cast with the first turn of the regional elections of 2004 and with the European elections of June 2004. This success is partly due to the alternative which she proposes to the right-wing voters and center dissatisfied with the policy of the government, in particular on the social questions; partly with its European engagement, which enables him to allure beyond its traditional sphere of influence. At the time of the regional elections the 2004 president of UDF Francois Bayrou, chief candidate UDF in the Aquitaine region, decided, with the second turn regional elections of 2004, to desist, in favor of the candidate UMP Xavier Darcos. During this poll, no other candidate of UDF desisted with the second turn with the profit from a candidate from the Socialist party (France).

After the European elections, UDF left PPE-DE, European Popular party (Christian-Democrat) and of the European Democrats, too judged Eurosceptic, to found a new European party of the center, the European Democratic party which forms with the liberals the group of the Alliance of the democrats and the liberals for Europe (ADLE-ALDE) with the the European Parliament.

June 8th, 2005, for the first time since 2002, UDF refused to vote confidence with the first government Dominique de Villepin, following the speech of general policy that this last pronounced in front of the National Assembly. Half of the group of the UDF deputies then voted against the draft budget 2006 presented by this government; the senators center Union abstained from.

“Free and independent UDF”

On January 28th and 29th 2006, at the time of the Extraordinary congress of Lyon, the members of UDF (91,1% of the voters) gave their support for the single motion of Francois Bayrou defining UDF as a “free and independent party”, in the center, separated from the majorities and right-wing opposition like left and guarantor from a pluralist democracy. The partisans of a pre-election alliance with the UMP, carried out by the Gilles de Robien minister are marginalized within the party. Gilles de Robien had been suspended of her executive functions within the party following her entry with the government Villepin, opposite with the decision of non-participation of UDF.

While supporting the line defended by Francois Bayrou, certain a number of town councilors of UDF and members of Parliament had expressed their reservations as for his too radical application. They proposed that UDF took part in many executives of territorial collectivities (common, departments, area) at the sides of UMP, which always places it like an natural ally of the right-hand side. It is besides it should be noted that there exists a territorial collectivity of important size which is managed jointly by UDF and a left party the Grand Lyon, managed by an PS-Green-PCF-UDF coalition. But there is the different one, at more local levels, Nice in particular.

The UDF deputies voted neither confidence with the government Villepin, nor the motion of censure deposited against this Villepin Government on February 21st, 2006 by the socialist deputies .

May 16th, 2006, within the framework of the Business Clearstream 2, Francois Bayrou and ten other UDF deputies vote the motion of censure deposited by the opposition (Socialist party) against the Villepin government. It is the first time since the creation of the party in 1978 qu ' a center leader joins with a text of this nature. However, the position of Francois Bayrou remained relatively minority within the parliamentary group of the UDF which then counted 29 members (of which the related ones).

In reaction, Gilles de Robien, only UDF minister of the Villepin government, launched, on May 21st, the circle Société moving, favorable to the membership of UDF in the majority, and which remained without a future, failing to be constant by the dominant sarkozist of UMP.

June 10th, since Iso-the-Moulineaux, stronghold of historical UDF Andre Santini, Bayrou launches her call to a “civic revolution”, in the presence of Gilles de Robien, come to recognize “the legitimacy of Francois Bayrou as a president of UDF candidate to the presidential election”. This one nevertheless is chahuté by most of the national advisers UDF present and will leave the assembly with the reason for a diary charged.

April 22nd, 2007, Francois Bayrou arrives 3rd at the presidential elections with a score of 18,57%, behind Nicolas Sarkozy (UMP with 31,18% of the voices) and Ségolène Royal (PS with 25,87% of the voices).

Severely attacked by UMP to have agreed to take part in a televisual debate suggested by the candidate with the second Ségolène Royal turn and depending that on his side the candidate Nicolas Sarkozy refuses like “not legitimates” any official and democratic debate with him, Francois Bayrou will not give an instruction and will indicate only to personal capacity “not to want to vote for Nicolas Sarkozy”.

Moved by its position, 23 UDF deputies outgoing, concerned of their electorate of right-hand side and threatened by UMP at the time of the legislative countryside of June 2007, declare, in a article published on May 8th, 2007 in the daily newspaper Le Figaro , to enter in dissidence with UDF and call for the majority (Misters Albertini and of Courson will reconsider this call), with the constitution of new a Political party of center right partner of UMP. In answer, at the time of the UDF National council of the next May 10th, the 1.500 national advisers UDF present decide unanimously less 4 votes to call the constitution of a new political party called democratic Mouvement and that UDF will introduce candidates to legislative under the banner UDF - DÉMOCRATE MOVEMENT.

The list of the candidates of the Modem, stopped on May 20th, 2007, comprises 535 parliamentary candidates on 577 districts, more than the Socialist party and the record in the history of UDF.

UDF on the international plan

The European Democratic party, of tendency reformist and centrist, is a European political party initiated on April 16th, 2004 by the Francois Bayrou French and the Italian Francesco Rutelli who are his the first two copresidents, Romano Prodi while being the honorary president. The leader of UDF created in the tread, at the end of February 2006 with the New Democrat Coalition American, component member of Parliament of the Democratic party, “international”, or rather a world Alliance of the Democrats. In Italy, important a Democratic party, joining together the left ex-Communist and it center-left Christian, must be born in a congress convened in October 2006.

The UDF mark

It is the former Foreign Minister and current deputy Hervé de Charrette, former member of UDF having joined the UMP in 2001, which is apparent owner of the mark “Union for the French democracy UDF” that it deposited on March 8th, 2004 in the name of the Association law 1901 National federation of the Clubs Prospects and Realities and which was published on April 16th, 2004 with the official bulletin of the National institute of the industrial property.

This association which is completely external in UDF since 2001 in is thus legal owner supposed until 2014. The direction of UDF thus announced “to engage of the legal proceedings against those which had fraudulently deposited the name of UDF and without having neither right of it nor quality to proceed to such a deposit”, calling upon the intention to harm of the depositor.

The party founder of the democratic Movement

See also: democratic Movement (France)

April 25th, 2007, Francois Bayrou announced the creation of a new party, the democratic Mouvement (Modem) gathering political trainings and militants wishing the constitution of a center political clout independent of the right-hand side and left. This party was created by him, on May 7th, 2007. The founding members of the Democratic party are: Francois Bayrou, Marielle de Sarnez, Michel Mercier, Jacqueline Gouraud. The Modem is in these statutes a unit political movement.

Francois Bayrou with proposed with the vote, at the time of the national council on May 10th, 2007, the principle of the creation of the Democratic Movement. According to him, UDF could become founding member of a Modem to which the statutes deposited in prefecture on May 9th, 2007 are very close to those of UDF and do not allow the membership two political parties.

In order to immediately mark the political existence of this new movement, Francois Bayrou introduced her candidates to the legislative elections of June 2007 under the label “UDF-Movement democratic”, the financing of these candidates having undoubtedly been assured by UDF.

The New Center and UDF opposed to the creation of the Modem

See also: New Center

In May 2007, a very vast majority (23 out of 29 by taking of account the related ones) deputies of UDF did not follow Francois Bayrou in her intention of creation of the democratic Mouvement (Modem), taking again the line defended by Gilles de Robien of an alliance of the centrists in the presidential majority, which would maintain UDF with the center-right. This position was in particular defended by personalities like Herve Morin, outgoing president of the UDF group to the National Assembly, Maurice Leroy, vice-president of UDF or Jean-Louis Bourlanges, appointed European.

The near total of the group of the outgoing UDF deputies, in dissension with the political line of Francois Bayrou, built the initiative of the Nouveau Center, by introducing candidates to the legislative elections of 2007 pennies this same label.

The UDF group with the National Assembly

Many deputies of group UDF-AN

  • 1978-1981 : 108 related members and 15 (out of 491)

  • 1981-1986: 51 related members and 11 (out of 491)
  • 1986-1988: 114 related members and 17 (out of 577)
  • 1988-1993: 81 related members and 9 (out of 577)
of which the group Union of the center: 34 and 7 respectively.
  • 1993-1997: 213 members and 2 related (out of 577).
  • 1997-2002: 107 related members and 7 (out of 577)
30 members founded the group liberal Démocratie and independent in 1998.
  • 2002-2007: 27 members and 3 related (out of 577) - 1 Pierre-Christophe Baguet erased the 10/9/06 to have publicly announced its support for Nicolas Sarkozy, for the presidential election.

Deputies of the 12th legislature

The group centrist-UDF Union

Many senators of the group centrist-UDF Union

  • at September 26th, 2004: 33 members (out of 331).

Senators in the course of mandate

Other principal elected officials

The UDF delegation in the European Parliament, chaired by Marielle de Sarnez, includes/understands 11 European deputies.

Eight general advices have presidents UDF (Calvados, Loir-et-Cher (Nouveau Center), Mayenne, Morbihan, Yrénées-Atlantiques, Haut-Rhin, the Rhone, Somme (Nouveau Center).

The main cities whose mayor is UDF are: Annecy (New Center), Amiens (New Center), Arras, Biarritz, Blois (New Center), Deauville, Drancy (New Center), Iso-the-Moulineaux (New Center), Plessis-Trévise, Meudon, Montrouge, Noisy-the-Dryness, Redon, Rheims, Rouen (center independent), Saint-Brieuc, Talence, City-with Avray.

National flow chart

President

Francois Bayrou: deputy of the Yrénées-Atlantiques and general adviser of the canton of Pau-South.

Executive vice-presidents

  • Herve Morin, president of the UDF group to the National Assembly (appointed the Eure), regional adviser of Normandy, mayor of Épaignes and chairs the Community of communes of Cormeilles; joined the Nouveau Center.

  • Michel Mercier, president of the center Union group (UC-UDF since 2005) to the Senate (senator of the the Rhone), president of the General advice of the the Rhone (general adviser of the canton of Thizy) and chairs Mixed trade-union of the Lac of the Fir trees
  • Marielle de Sarnez, president of the delegation UDF (member of group ADLE) to the the European Parliament, elected Conseil of Paris
  • Jacqueline Gourault, president of the Fédération of the elected officials (EDF), senator de Loir-et-Cher and Maire of the Roadway-Saint-Victor

Vice-presidents

Spokesperson

François Sauvadet, appointed Coast-with Or; joined the Nouveau Center.

Presidential campaign 2007

Among the advisers of Francois Bayrou

List former presidents

UDF young people

Founded in 1998, during the unification of UDF, the Jeunes UDF gather the members of the UDF from 16 to 34 years included. Present in all the authorities of UDF, they actively take share with the internal debate with the party and put forward their positions. Each year, they organize the Summer school of UDF, strong moment of the life of the movement. Contrary to many young political movements, the Jeunes UDF have their own structures and choose themselves their persons in charge:

  • a national president: Jean-Yves de Chaisemartin, elected for two years by the vote for all of the members;
  • an National office elected at the same time as the president and responsible for the daily animation of the movement;
  • a National council trained members elected within each federation, which holds regularly of the meetings sets of themes.

On the level of each department exists a federation of the Jeunes UDF organized in a similar way:

  • the federal president is elected for two years by the whole of the members of the federation;
  • the Federal office is elected at the same time as the president and is responsible for the animation of the federation.
If the departmental federation counts less than 10 members, a federal delegate named by the national president holds the role of the president and the office.

Congresses

  • February 1979: 1 {{er}} Congress of Paris

  • November 1982: Congress of Pontoise
  • November 1998: Congress of Lille
  • December 2000: Congress of Angers
  • December 2001: Congress of Amiens
  • January 2003: 2 {{E}} Congress of Paris
  • 21 with the January 23rd 2005: 3 {{E}} Congress of Paris
  • January 28th and 29th 2006: Extraordinary congress of Lyon
  • November 30th, 2007: Extraordinary congress of Villepinte, approving the integration of UDF in the Democratic Movement

Notes and references of the article

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