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Rally for the Republic (RPR)

The RPR was originally called the Gaullist Party, formed around the charisma of strong man Charles De Gaulle after his return to power in 1958. Although parties of the right are ideologically distinct from parties on the left, the Gaullist party is an excellent example of the factional nature of French parties. Particularly on the right, individual leaders have been more important than ideology, and the parties' individual fates tend to rest on the rise and fall of their leaders. De Gaulle disdained political parties and had little to do with the founding of the party, but his prime minister, Georges Pompidou, encouraged a more carefully organized political party based on Gaullist principles of strong executive leadership, opposition to big government and socialism, control of budget deficits, and limits to the power of bureaucracy. The party rapidly gained support and survived De Gaulle's retirement when Pompidou became President of France.

When Pompidou died in 1974, it looked as if the party was doomed, but it was reorganized as the RPR under the leadership of Jacques Chirac who later became Prime Minister and eventually President in 1995. The party lost popularity during the 1980s as the Socialists gained power, but regained strength in the parliamentary elections of 1993 and presidential election of 1995. The left regained control in 1998, but the 2002 elections left France with both a reelected Chirac and a right-dominated legislature. The party's success has come at least partially because of its coalition with the UDF.

The Union for French Democracy (UDF)

The UDF was formed in 1978 as an alliance of the Republican Party (PR) and several small groups that advocated a move toward the political center. The party's birth was at least partially caused by an earlier split between former RPR leader, Giscard d'Estaing, with Charles DeGaulle. After Pompidou's death in 1974, d'Estaing was elected president, and the party drew much of its strength from his personality. The centrist federation united in coalition with the RPR after Socialist victories in 1988, and the coalition managed to defeat the Socialists soundly in the parliamentary elections of 1993 and 2002.

The National Front

The National Front was founded in 1972 by Jean-Marie Le Pen, and remained relatively obscure until the 1980s. In the parliamentary elections of the 1980s, the National Front gained support, winning 14.4 percent of the total vote in 1988. The membership is characterized as being far right with a focus on law and order and anti-immigration. Le Pen emphasizes French nationalism and wants stricter controls on immigration, particularly from Islamic countries. Although the party's support had dwindled by 1993, it still remains an important force on the far right. The party generally fares better in presidential and EU elections than it does in parliamentary elections.

In the 2002 presidential elections, LePen shocked a relatively lethargic French electorate by upstaging the Socialist candidate Lionel Jospin in the first round. President Jacques Chirac led LePen in the first round by only 19.88% to !6.86% of the total vote. A concerned electorate selected Chirac over LePen in the second round 82.21% to 17.79%. In the 2002 parliamentary elections, the National Front only managed to get 29 of 577 seats, but its performance in the presidential race proved that it has a substantial following among voters.

Believe it or not, the National Front offers its website in English!

And you can also find out more about the controversial Jean-Marie Le Pen.