Movement for France

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Movement for France
Mouvement pour la France
Political positionRight-wing[4]
European affiliationMovement for a Europe of Liberties and Democracy (2011–2015)
European Parliament groupEurope of Freedom and Democracy (2009–2014)
Colours  Purple
Website
www.pourlafrance.fr

The Movement for France (

Eurosceptic French political party, founded on 20 November 1994, with a marked regional stronghold in the Vendée. It was led by Philippe de Villiers, once communications minister under Jacques Chirac
.

The party was considered Eurosceptic, though not to the extent of seeking

Islamisation
of France.

The party was a member of President Nicolas Sarkozy's presidential majority, which gathered allies of the ruling party Union for a Popular Movement (UMP). However, the party eventually distanced itself from Sarkozy, and party leader Villiers expressed support for Marine Le Pen in the 2017 presidential elections.[5]

History

1990s

Old logo of the MPF

Founded in 1994, the party nominated Philippe de Villiers as candidate in the 1995 presidential election. He obtained over a million votes and 4.74% of the popular vote, but failed to pass 5%.

In the 1997 legislative election, the MPF joined forces with the National Centre of Independents and Peasants as La Droite Indépendante (LDI). Philippe de Villiers was re-elected, as was one of his allies, who nonetheless left the party soon thereafter.

It contested the

Rassemblement pour la République
(RPR) list.

2000s

The MPF formed an alliance with the RPF, but Villiers fell out with Pasqua the following year. Standing by itself in the

Independence and Democracy
group in the European Parliament.

Villiers declared his candidacy for the 2007 presidential election and appointed a secretary-general, Guillaume Peltier, then ranked second in the party. He ranked sixth out of twelve candidates, obtaining 2.23% (818,407 votes), down almost 2% from his previous candidacy in 1995. His best scores came in Pays de la Loire with 4.99% and Poitou-Charentes with 3.58%. Unlike in 1995, he failed to win in his department of Vendée, where he obtained 11.28% (over 20% in 1995).

In the 2007 legislative election, MPF candidates ran nationwide, but only one candidate was elected – Véronique Besse in Vendée's 4th constituency by the first round. Former MPF member Joël Sarlot was also elected by the first round in the Vendée's 5th constituency. Sarlot subsequently lent support to the victorious Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) in the National Assembly. Sarlot's election was invalidated in 2007 and Dominique Souchet, a Villierist won the ensuing by-election easily. Other candidates, mostly in the south of France obtained important scores. Jacques Bompard, in the 4th constituency of Vaucluse won over 20%.

In the

Libertas political movement led by Irish businessman Declan Ganley. It won 4.8% and only Philippe de Villiers was re-elected: Patrick Louis was defeated. The MPF was the only Libertas affiliated party throughout the whole of the European Union to elect MEPs in 2009. The party was member of the Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) group during the 7th European Parliament
.

In August 2009, Philippe de Villiers announced that the MPF would join the Liaison Committee for the Presidential Majority, which co-ordinates the member parties of the majority supporting the policies of President Nicolas Sarkozy.[6]

Decline (2010s)

During the 2010s, the MPF gradually lost all its electoral representation. The party did not take part in the

presidential elections. Party leader Villiers expressed his personal support for Marine Le Pen in the 2017 presidential election.[5] The party was dissolved by its secretary-general Patrick Louis on 28 June 2018.[7]

Ideology

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The MPF was a

United Kingdom Independence Party
, it did not support France's withdrawal from the EU but rather a massive overhaul of it. The MPF was a strong critic of what it saw as excessive bureaucracy and technocracy in the EU.

The MPF and Villers, mostly due to their views on Islam and Muslim immigration, have been labeled in world news media such as

The San Francisco Chronicle as "far right".[8][9][10][11][12]

According to its electoral platform, its various proposals included:

European Union

  • Restore the rule of national law over EU law.
  • Ceasing negotiations over the
    Mediterranean
    countries.
  • Allow the countries of Europe to form their own, independent foreign policies.
  • Follow a policy of respect of national borders and control of immigration.
  • Put the national Parliaments in the middle of European construction and giving them veto power on the vital interests of the people which they represent.
  • Put the European Union and the euro at the service of the growth and employment.
  • Found a European preference for industry and the services, as for agriculture.
  • Opposition to the
    Lisbon Treaty
    and halting the ratification process.
  • Draft a "fundamental treaty" of the European Union based on a free association of independent nations and peoples.

Economy

  • Establishing a "European protectionism" with tariffs on external imports. Within France, it is more
    neoliberal
    in supporting lower taxes to encourage the growth of industries within France.
  • End the 35-hour workweek
  • Liberalization of the fixed retirement age (60)
  • Maximum rate of taxation at 38%
  • Repealing the solidarity tax on wealth (ISF)

Internal issues

  • Referendum on the re-establishment of the
    death penalty
  • Forbid the wearing of the hijab in public.
  • Establishing a moratorium on constructing mosques in France.
  • Abolition of the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM)
  • Opposition to same-sex marriage: constitutional amendment establishing marriage as between a man and a woman
  • The party supports alternatives to abortion though it does not support forbidding it

Organization

Leadership

Party leader Time in office
1. Philippe de Villiers 20 November 1994 – 28 June 2018
Secretary-General Time in office
1. Stéphane Buffetaut 1998 – 1999
2. Thierry de La Perrière 1999 – 2003
3. Guillaume Peltier 2003 – 2008
4. Patrick Louis 2008 – 2018

Elected officials

The MPF elected some representatives, including two deputies (

RASNAG) and a MEP (Philippe de Villiers, member of the EFD
).

The MPF controlled the general council of

FN
lists in 2004.

Youth wing

The Youth for France (French: Jeunes pour la France, JPF) was founded in 2001 by Guillaume Peltier as the party's youth organisation. Its successive presidents included Peltier (2001–2006), Jean-Baptiste Doat (2006–2008), Thibaud Vincendeau (2008–2010), Christophe Bentz (2010–2011) and Pierre Meurin (2014–2018).

Electoral performance

The MPF had little electoral clout and most of its support was concentrated in Philippe de Villiers' department of

Chouans during the French Revolution. In the 2009 European election, Villiers' list won the department with 32.96%[13] while polling only 4.8% nationally. In the 2004 European election the MPF won 38.63%[14] and it won 31.9% in the 1999 elections and 34.75% in 1994. However, the MPF is weaker in the department in national elections – such as presidential votes. Philippe de Villiers, who had won 22.02% in his department in the 1995 presidential election (he also got first place) came in fourth place with 11.28% in the 2007 presidential election. His electoral base in the department is his constituency – Vendée's 4th constituency – in which he consistently does better than in the department as a whole.[15]

His influence waned, however: through considered to be pro-EU in general, the department voted against the

European Constitution
in 2005. It was the only department to switch between a NO vote in 1992 and a YES vote in 2005.

The MPF was also strong in other departments, mostly those neighboring Vendée. In 2009, for example, Villiers' list won 14.26% in the Deux-Sèvres, a department which is also strongly Catholic. It also won 12.36% in Charente-Maritime, 10.39% in Maine-et-Loire, 9.79% in Charente, 9.29% in Vienne and 8.56% in Loire-Atlantique. Due to Jacques Bompard, it also polled 6.40% in the southeastern Vaucluse department.

Presidential

President of the French Republic
Election Candidate First round Second round Result
Votes % Votes %
1995 Philippe de Villiers 1,443,235 4.74% - - Lost
2007 818,407 2.23% - - Lost

Legislative

National Assembly
Election Leader Votes (first round) Seats
No. % No. ±
1997 Philippe de Villiers 606,355 2.38% Increase 2
2002 202,831 0.80% Decrease 1
2007 312,581 1.20% Increase 1

European Parliament

European Parliament
Election year Leader Number of votes % of overall vote # of seats won
1994 Philippe de Villiers 2,404,105 12.34%[16] 13[17]
1999 2,304,285 13.05%[16] 6[17]
2004 1,145,839 6.67% 3[18]
2009 826,357 4.80%[19] 1

See also

References

  1. ^ "Mouvement pour la France". Projet Arcadie. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  2. ^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2012). "France". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 11 June 2017.
  3. ^ Michaela Bresching (2020). Die Debatte um die französische und deutsche Identität in der Presseberichterstattung in Frankreich und Deutschland (1997-2012): eine Wiederkehr des nationalen Mythos? (in German). p. 23. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Fraktion Unabhängigkeit/Demokratie". VRT (in German). 14 May 2009. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  5. ^ a b redacchef (28 March 2017). "Philippe de Villiers confirme son ralliement à Marine Le Pen". Valeurs actuelles (in French). Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  6. ^ "Philippe de Villiers explique les raisons de son ralliement à l'UMP".
  7. ^ "Mouvement pour la France | Projet Arcadie - Les partis politiques". Archived from the original on 17 May 2019.
  8. ^ "12 candidates in the running for French president". CNN. 9 April 2007.
  9. ^ "Paris Airport Bars Muslim Workers". Der Spiegel. 2 November 2006.
  10. ^ Tom Heneghan (23 April 2006). "Far-right leader decries "Islamisation of France"". The Boston Globe.
  11. ^ David Marcelis. "Philippe de Villiers". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  12. ^ Elaine Ganley (2 August 2006). "Paris Shuts Airport Muslim Prayer Rooms". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  13. ^ "Ministry of the Interior results page".
  14. ^ "Ministry of the Interior results page".
  15. ^ "Results on the CDSP website". Archived from the original on 4 June 2012.
  16. ^ a b Results of the Rally for France-MPF common list
  17. ^ a b The RPF-MPF list won 13 MEPs, of which 6 were members of the MPF
  18. ^ Including Paul-Marie Coûteaux, who is not a member of the MPF
  19. ^ Results of Libertas France, where the MPF was the senior party in a coalition including the stronger Movement for France
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