Gaullism

Gaullism A French political movement with a diffuse ideology. Although it has developed into a movement on the political right, it contains elements drawn from across the political spectrum, from the Action Française to the Socialist Party (SFIO). It seeks to realize the aims of de Gaulle, particularly achieving unity among the French people through a patriotic and independent foreign policy. In 1947 de Gaulle founded the RPF (Rassemblement du Peuple Français, Union of the French People), which he hoped would gather enough popular support for his constitutional idea of a strong presidency. By 1952 it was clear that the RPF had failed, whereupon it was disbanded and de Gaulle was left in the political wilderness.

Upon his return to office in 1958, de Gaulle founded the UNR (Union pour la Nouvelle République, Union for the New Republic), whose leader, Pompidou, became Prime Minister in 1962 in a coalition government with Giscard d'Estaing. Renamed the UDR (Union des Democrates pour la V^e; République, Union of the Democrats for the Fifth Republic) in 1968, the movement was relaunched by Chirac as the RPR (Rassemblement pour la République, Union for the Republic) in 1976. The Gaullists held the major offices of power until 1974, when Giscard d'Estaing became President, though he appointed Chirac as Prime Minister. They were forced into opposition in 1981, but helped form the government in 1984–6, and continued to do so from 1993.

In 1995 the Gaullists recaptured the Presidency through Chirac. Emboldened by opinion polls, Chirac called elections in 1997. However, the RPR unexpectedly lost the elections, as its strength in the National Assembly was reduced from 247 to 134 seats. Owing to a finance scandal, the RPR lost its stronghold Paris to the Socialist Party in the 2001 local elections. Moreover, the RPR was weakened by a number of high-profile right-wing defectors like Charles Pasqua, who protested against what they considered to be Chirac's pro-European Union policies. In 2002, it rallied behind Chirac again and merged into the UMP.