Movement for France
Encyclopedia
The Movement for France , abbreviated to MPF, is a French conservative
and eurosceptic
political party, founded on 20 November 1994, with a marked regional stronghold in the Vendée
. It is led by Philippe de Villiers
, once communications minister under Jacques Chirac
.
The party is considered Eurosceptic
, though not to the extent of seeking to secede from the Union. In this way it contrasts with some other mainstream eurosceptic parties such as the United Kingdom Independence Party
(UKIP). The MPF resists increases in European integration
and campaigned for a "no" vote in the 2005 referendum
on the European constitution.
It is also strongly opposed to the possible admission of Turkey
into the European Union and to what it sees as the Islamisation of France.
The party is a member of President Nicolas Sarkozy
's presidential majority, which gathers the allies of the ruling party Union for a Popular Movement
(UMP).
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 1999 European Parliamentary elections
in alliance with the Rassemblement pour la France (RPF) of Charles Pasqua
, the combination winning 13 seats, surpassing Nicolas Sarkozy
's Rassemblement pour la République (RPR) list. The MPF formed an alliance with the RPF, but Villiers fell out with Pasqua the following year. Standing by itself in the 2004 European elections
, the MPF obtained 7.6% of the popular vote and returned three Members of the European Parliament
(MEPs). The party was a member of 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 2009 European Parliament election
, the party ran with Hunting, Fishing, Nature, Tradition under the umbrella of 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.
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
.
, his electoral stronghold. While most of his support comes from his status as a favourite son, Vendée is also a strongly Traditionalist Catholic
department which maintains a sense of pride in the monarchist counter-revolution and the Chouans during the French Revolution
. In the 2009 European election
, Villiers' list won the department with 32.96% while polling only 4.8% nationally. In the 2004 European election
the MPF won 38.63% 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.
Interestingly, his influence is waning: through considered to be pro-European in general, the department voted against the Maastricht Treaty
in 1992 due to Villiers' influence, but it voted for 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 is 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.
, Der Spiegel
, The Wall Street Journal
, The Boston Globe
, and The San Francisco Chronicle as "far right".
party which supports the "national independence" of France within a Europe "of peoples and co-operation". Unlike the United Kingdom Independence Party
, it does not support France's withdrawal from the EU but rather a massive overhaul of it. The MPF is a strong critic of what it sees as excessive bureaucracy and technocracy in the EU. Its various proposals include:
The MPF currently controls one general council, that of Vendée
, where Villiers serves as President of the General Council
. It has 10 general councillors in Vendée in addition to one in the Morbihan
(Quiberon
), one in the Meuse
(Charny-sur-Meuse
) and two in the Vaucluse
(Orange
). It claims 5 regional councillors, most of which were elected on FN lists in 2004.
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
and eurosceptic
Euroscepticism
Euroscepticism is a general term used to describe criticism of the European Union , and opposition to the process of European integration, existing throughout the political spectrum. Traditionally, the main source of euroscepticism has been the notion that integration weakens the nation state...
political party, founded on 20 November 1994, with a marked regional stronghold in the Vendée
Vendée
The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department.-History:...
. It is led by Philippe de Villiers
Philippe de Villiers
Viscount Philippe Le Jolis de Villiers de Saintignon, known as Philippe de Villiers, born on 25 March 1949, is a French politician. He was the Mouvement pour la France nominee for the French presidential election of 2007. He received 2.23% of the vote, putting him in sixth place. As only the top...
, once communications minister under Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
.
The party is considered Eurosceptic
EuroSceptic
EuroSceptic is the second album of British singer Jack Lucien. It was released in October 2009.Due to being an album influenced by Europop, it features songs with parts in different languages...
, though not to the extent of seeking to secede from the Union. In this way it contrasts with some other mainstream eurosceptic parties such as the United Kingdom Independence Party
United Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
(UKIP). The MPF resists increases in European integration
European integration
European integration is the process of industrial, political, legal, economic integration of states wholly or partially in Europe...
and campaigned for a "no" vote in the 2005 referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
on the European constitution.
It is also strongly opposed to the possible admission of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
into the European Union and to what it sees as the Islamisation of France.
The party is a member of President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
's presidential majority, which gathers the allies of the ruling party Union for a Popular Movement
Union for a Popular Movement
The Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party...
(UMP).
History
Founded in 1994, the party nominated Philippe de VilliersPhilippe de Villiers
Viscount Philippe Le Jolis de Villiers de Saintignon, known as Philippe de Villiers, born on 25 March 1949, is a French politician. He was the Mouvement pour la France nominee for the French presidential election of 2007. He received 2.23% of the vote, putting him in sixth place. As only the top...
as candidate in the 1995 presidential election
French presidential election, 1995
Presidential elections took place in France on 23 April and 7 May 1995, to elect the fifth president of the Fifth Republic.The incumbent Socialist president, François Mitterrand, did not stand for a third term. He was 78, had cancer, and his party had lost the previous legislative election in a...
. He obtained over a million votes and 4.74% of the popular vote, but failed to pass 5%.
In the 1997 legislative election
French legislative election, 1997
French legislative election took place on 25 May and 1 June 1997 to elect the 11th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic. It was the consequence of President Jacques Chirac's decision to call the legislative election one year before the deadline....
, the MPF joined forces with the National Centre of Independents and Peasants
National Centre of Independents and Peasants
The National Centre of Independents and Peasants is a liberal-conservative and conservative-liberal political party in France, founded in 1949 by the merger of the National Centre of Independents with the...
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 1999 European Parliamentary elections
European Parliament election, 1999
The European Parliament Election, 1999 was a European election for all 626 members of the European Parliament held across the 15 European Union member states on 10, 11 and 13 June 1999. The voter turn-out was generally low, except in Belgium and Luxembourg, where voting is compulsory and where...
in alliance with the Rassemblement pour la France (RPF) of Charles Pasqua
Charles Pasqua
Charles Pasqua is a French businessman and Gaullist politician. He was Interior Minister from 1986 to 1988, under Jacques Chirac's cohabitation government, and also from 1993 to 1995, under the government of Edouard Balladur...
, the combination winning 13 seats, surpassing Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
's Rassemblement pour la République (RPR) list. The MPF formed an alliance with the RPF, but Villiers fell out with Pasqua the following year. Standing by itself in the 2004 European elections
European Parliament election, 2004 (France)
Elections to the European Parliament were held in France on 13 June 2004. The opposition Socialist Party made substantial gains, although this was mainly at the expense of minor parties...
, the MPF obtained 7.6% of the popular vote and returned three Members of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
(MEPs). The party was a member of the Independence and Democracy
Independence and Democracy
The Independence/Democracy Group in the European Parliament was a group of eurosceptic and eurorealist political parties in the 2004-2009 term of the European Parliament. It collapsed following the 2009 European elections after losing many of its MEPs....
group in the European Parliament.
Villiers declared his candidacy for the 2007 presidential election
French presidential election, 2007
The 2007 French presidential election, the ninth of the Fifth French Republic was held to elect the successor to Jacques Chirac as president of France for a five-year term.The winner, decided on 5 and 6 May 2007, was Nicolas Sarkozy...
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
Poitou-Charentes
Poitou-Charentes is an administrative region in central western France comprising four departments: Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres and Vienne. The regional capital is Poitiers.-Politics:The regional council is composed of 56 members...
with 3.58%. Unlike in 1995, he failed to win in his department of Vendée
Vendée
The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department.-History:...
, where he obtained 11.28% (over 20% in 1995).
French legislative election, 2007
The French legislative elections took place on 10 June and 17 June 2007 to elect the 13th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, a few weeks after the French presidential election run-off on 6 May. 7,639 candidates stood for 577 seats, including France's overseas possessions...
, MPF candidates ran nationwide, but only one candidate was elected - Véronique Besse
Véronique Besse
Véronique Besse is a member of the National Assembly of France. She represents the Vendée department, is a member of the Movement for France and does not align herself with any parliamentary group....
in Vendée's 4th constituency
Vendée's 4th constituency
The 4th constituency of Vendée is a French legislative constituency in the Vendée département.-Deputies:-2007:...
by the first round. Former MPF member Joël Sarlot was also elected by the first round in the Vendée's 5th constituency
Vendée's 5th constituency
The 5th constituency of Vendée is a French legislative constituency in the Vendée département.-2008: -2007: -2002:...
. Sarlot subsequently lent support to the victorious Union for a Popular Movement
Union for a Popular Movement
The Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party...
(UMP) in the National Assembly. Sarlot's election was invalidated in 2007 and Dominique Souchet
Dominique Souchet
Dominique Souchet is a member of the National Assembly of France. He represents the Vendée department, is a member of the Movement for France and does not align himself with any parliamentary group....
, a Villierist won the ensuing by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
easily. Other candidates, mostly in the south of France obtained important scores. Jacques Bompard
Jacques Bompard
Jacques Bompard is a French politician. Bompard is the mayor of Orange, elected in June 1995 and reelected in 2001 and 2008. He was originally a member of the Front National , but left the party in 2005. He joined the Mouvement pour la France later the same year...
, in the 4th constituency of Vaucluse
Vaucluse
The Vaucluse is a department in the southeast of France, named after the famous spring, the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.- History :Vaucluse was created on 12 August 1793 out of parts of the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, and Basses-Alpes...
won over 20%.
In the 2009 European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 2009 (France)
European elections to elect 72 French Members of the European Parliament were held on Sunday 7 June 2009.Due to the entry of Romania and Bulgaria in the European Union in 2007, the number of seats allocated to France was revised from 78 seats to 72 seats, a loss of 6 seats...
, the party ran with Hunting, Fishing, Nature, Tradition under the umbrella of the Libertas political movement led by Irish businessman Declan Ganley
Declan Ganley
Declan James Ganley is a British-born Irish citizen, entrepreneur, businessman and political activist. He is founder and chairman of a political party, Libertas with pan-European ambitions...
. It won 4.8% and only Philippe de Villiers
Philippe de Villiers
Viscount Philippe Le Jolis de Villiers de Saintignon, known as Philippe de Villiers, born on 25 March 1949, is a French politician. He was the Mouvement pour la France nominee for the French presidential election of 2007. He received 2.23% of the vote, putting him in sixth place. As only the top...
was re-elected: Patrick Louis
Patrick Louis
Patrick Louis is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament for the south-east of France...
was defeated. The MPF was the only Libertas affiliated party throughout the whole of the European Union to elect MEPs in 2009.
In August 2009, Philippe de Villiers announced that the MPF would join the Liaison Committee for the Presidential Majority
Liaison Committee for the Presidential Majority
The Liaison Committee for the Presidential Majority is a structure initiated by Nicolas Sarkozy to coordinate the political parties that support his action....
, which co-ordinates the member parties of the majority supporting the policies of President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
.
Popular support and electoral record
The MPF has little electoral clout and most of its support is concentrated in Philippe de Villiers' department of VendéeVendée
The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department.-History:...
, his electoral stronghold. While most of his support comes from his status as a favourite son, Vendée is also a strongly Traditionalist Catholic
Traditionalist Catholic
Traditionalist Catholics are Roman Catholics who believe that there should be a restoration of many or all of the liturgical forms, public and private devotions and presentations of Catholic teachings which prevailed in the Catholic Church before the Second Vatican Council...
department which maintains a sense of pride in the monarchist counter-revolution and the Chouans during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. In the 2009 European election
European Parliament election, 2009 (France)
European elections to elect 72 French Members of the European Parliament were held on Sunday 7 June 2009.Due to the entry of Romania and Bulgaria in the European Union in 2007, the number of seats allocated to France was revised from 78 seats to 72 seats, a loss of 6 seats...
, Villiers' list won the department with 32.96% while polling only 4.8% nationally. In the 2004 European election
European Parliament election, 2004 (France)
Elections to the European Parliament were held in France on 13 June 2004. The opposition Socialist Party made substantial gains, although this was mainly at the expense of minor parties...
the MPF won 38.63% 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
French presidential election, 1995
Presidential elections took place in France on 23 April and 7 May 1995, to elect the fifth president of the Fifth Republic.The incumbent Socialist president, François Mitterrand, did not stand for a third term. He was 78, had cancer, and his party had lost the previous legislative election in a...
(he also got first place) came in fourth place with 11.28% in the 2007 presidential election
French presidential election, 2007
The 2007 French presidential election, the ninth of the Fifth French Republic was held to elect the successor to Jacques Chirac as president of France for a five-year term.The winner, decided on 5 and 6 May 2007, was Nicolas Sarkozy...
. His electoral base in the department is his constituency - Vendée's 4th constituency
Vendée's 4th constituency
The 4th constituency of Vendée is a French legislative constituency in the Vendée département.-Deputies:-2007:...
- in which he consistently does better than in the department as a whole.
Interestingly, his influence is waning: through considered to be pro-European in general, the department voted against the Maastricht Treaty
Maastricht Treaty
The Maastricht Treaty was signed on 7 February 1992 by the members of the European Community in Maastricht, Netherlands. On 9–10 December 1991, the same city hosted the European Council which drafted the treaty...
in 1992 due to Villiers' influence, but it voted for 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 is also strong in other departments, mostly those neighboring Vendée. In 2009, for example, Villiers' list won 14.26% in the Deux-Sèvres
Deux-Sèvres
Deux-Sèvres is a French département. Deux-Sèvres literally means "two Sèvres": the Sèvre Nantaise and the Sèvre Niortaise are two rivers which have their sources in the department.-History:...
, a department which is also strongly Catholic. It also won 12.36% in Charente-Maritime
Charente-Maritime
Charente-Maritime is a department on the west coast of France named after the Charente River.- History :Previously a part of Saintonge, Charente-Inférieure was one of the 83 original departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
, 10.39% in Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire is a department in west-central France, in the Pays de la Loire region.- History :Maine-et-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. Originally it was called Mayenne-et-Loire, but its name was changed to Maine-et-Loire in 1791....
, 9.79% in Charente
Charente
Charente is a department in southwestern France, in the Poitou-Charentes region, named after the Charente River, the most important river in the department, and also the river beside which the department's two largest towns, Angoulême and Cognac, are sited.-History:Charente is one of the original...
, 9.29% in Vienne
Vienne
Vienne is the northernmost département of the Poitou-Charentes region of France, named after the river Vienne.- Viennese history :Vienne is one of the original 83 departments, established on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Poitou,...
and 8.56% in Loire-Atlantique
Loire-Atlantique
Loire-Atlantique is a department on the west coast of France named after the Loire River and the Atlantic Ocean.-History:...
. Due to Jacques Bompard
Jacques Bompard
Jacques Bompard is a French politician. Bompard is the mayor of Orange, elected in June 1995 and reelected in 2001 and 2008. He was originally a member of the Front National , but left the party in 2005. He joined the Mouvement pour la France later the same year...
, it also polled 6.40% in the southeastern Vaucluse
Vaucluse
The Vaucluse is a department in the southeast of France, named after the famous spring, the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.- History :Vaucluse was created on 12 August 1793 out of parts of the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, and Basses-Alpes...
department.
Presidential
| Election year | Candidate | # of 1st round votes | % of 1st round vote | # of 2nd round votes | % of 2nd round vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 French presidential election, 1995 Presidential elections took place in France on 23 April and 7 May 1995, to elect the fifth president of the Fifth Republic.The incumbent Socialist president, François Mitterrand, did not stand for a third term. He was 78, had cancer, and his party had lost the previous legislative election in a... |
Philippe de Villiers Philippe de Villiers Viscount Philippe Le Jolis de Villiers de Saintignon, known as Philippe de Villiers, born on 25 March 1949, is a French politician. He was the Mouvement pour la France nominee for the French presidential election of 2007. He received 2.23% of the vote, putting him in sixth place. As only the top... |
1,443,235 | 4.74% | — | — |
| 2007 French presidential election, 2007 The 2007 French presidential election, the ninth of the Fifth French Republic was held to elect the successor to Jacques Chirac as president of France for a five-year term.The winner, decided on 5 and 6 May 2007, was Nicolas Sarkozy... |
Philippe de Villiers Philippe de Villiers Viscount Philippe Le Jolis de Villiers de Saintignon, known as Philippe de Villiers, born on 25 March 1949, is a French politician. He was the Mouvement pour la France nominee for the French presidential election of 2007. He received 2.23% of the vote, putting him in sixth place. As only the top... |
818,407 | 2.23% | — | — |
Legislative
| Election year | # of 1st round votes | % of 1st round vote | # of seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 French legislative election, 1997 French legislative election took place on 25 May and 1 June 1997 to elect the 11th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic. It was the consequence of President Jacques Chirac's decision to call the legislative election one year before the deadline.... |
606,355 | 2.38% | 2 |
| 2002 French legislative election, 2002 -12th Assembly by Parliamentary Group:... |
202,831 | 0.80% | 1 |
| 2007 French legislative election, 2007 The French legislative elections took place on 10 June and 17 June 2007 to elect the 13th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, a few weeks after the French presidential election run-off on 6 May. 7,639 candidates stood for 577 seats, including France's overseas possessions... |
312,581 | 1.20% | 2 |
European Parliament
| Election year | Number of votes | % of overall vote | # of seats won |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 European Parliament election, 1994 (France) On 12 June 1994 the fourth direct elections to the European Parliament were held in the France. Six lists were able to win seats: an alliance of the centre-right Union for French Democracy and the Gaullist Rally for the Republic, the Socialist Party, the Left Radical Party, the French Communist... |
2,404,105 | 12.34% | 13 |
| 1999 European Parliament election, 1999 (France) On 13 June 1999 the fifth direct elections to the European Parliament were held in the France. Once again, abstention was very high for this type of election- only 47% of eligible voters voted... |
2,304,285 | 13.05% | 6 |
| 2004 European Parliament election, 2004 (France) Elections to the European Parliament were held in France on 13 June 2004. The opposition Socialist Party made substantial gains, although this was mainly at the expense of minor parties... |
1,145,839 | 6.67% | 3 |
| 2009 European Parliament election, 2009 (France) European elections to elect 72 French Members of the European Parliament were held on Sunday 7 June 2009.Due to the entry of Romania and Bulgaria in the European Union in 2007, the number of seats allocated to France was revised from 78 seats to 72 seats, a loss of 6 seats... |
826,357 | 4.80% | 1 |
Media opinion
The MPF and Villers, mostly due to their views on Islam and Muslim immigration, have been labeled in world news media such as CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
, The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
, and The San Francisco Chronicle as "far right".
Ideology
The MPF is a souverainistSouverainism
Souverainism , or sovereigntism is a doctrine which supports acquiring or preserving political independence of a nation or a region...
party which supports the "national independence" of France within a Europe "of peoples and co-operation". Unlike the United Kingdom Independence Party
United Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
, it does not support France's withdrawal from the EU but rather a massive overhaul of it. The MPF is a strong critic of what it sees as excessive bureaucracy and technocracy in the EU. Its various proposals include:
Europe
- Restore the rule of national law over European law.
- Ceasing negotiations over the accession of TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
to the European Union, and begin a process of privileged partnershipPrivileged partnershipPrivileged partnership is the term coined by the German conservative party CDU for their model of the future relation between Turkey and the European Union, which falls short of full membership...
with Turkey and other 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 supporting lower taxes to encourage the growth of industries within France.
- End the 35-hour workweek35-hour workweekThe 35-hour working week is a measure adopted first in France, in February 2000, under Prime Minister Lionel Jospin's Plural Left government; it was pushed by Minister of Labour Martine Aubry. The previous legal duration of the working week was 39 hours, which had been established by François...
- Liberalization of the fixed retirement age (60)
- maximum rate of taxation at 38%
- Repealing the Solidarity tax on wealthSolidarity tax on wealthThe solidarity tax on wealth is an annual direct wealth tax on those in France having assets in excess of €800,000, . It was one of the Socialist Party's 1981 electoral program's measures, 110 Propositions for France...
(ISF)
Internal issues
- Referendum on the re-establishment of the death penalty
- Forbid the wearing of the hijabHijabThe word "hijab" or "'" refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general....
in public. - Establishing a moratorium on constructing mosques in France.
- Abolition of the French Council of the Muslim FaithFrench Council of the Muslim FaithThe French Council of the Muslim Faith , is a national elected body, to serve as an official interlocutor with the French state in the regulation of Muslim religious activities. It is a non-profit group created on 28 May 2003, consisting of 25 CRCMs...
(CFCM) - Opposition to same-sex marriageSame-sex marriageSame-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
: constitutional amendment establishing marriage as between a man and a woman - Pro-lifePro-lifeOpposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
, though it does not support removing the right to an abortion
Elected officials
- Deputies: Véronique BesseVéronique BesseVéronique Besse is a member of the National Assembly of France. She represents the Vendée department, is a member of the Movement for France and does not align herself with any parliamentary group....
, Dominique SouchetDominique SouchetDominique Souchet is a member of the National Assembly of France. He represents the Vendée department, is a member of the Movement for France and does not align himself with any parliamentary group....
(Non-InscritsNon-InscritsNon-Inscrits are Members of the European Parliament who do not sit in one of the recognized political groups....
) - Senators: Bruno RetailleauBruno RetailleauBruno Retailleau is a French politician.He's a member of the Senate of France, representing the Vendée department, since September 2004, and is also President of the General Council of the Vendée since November 2010.-References:*...
, Philippe DarnichePhilippe DarnichePhilippe Darniche is a French politician, and a member of the Senate of France. He represents the Vendée départment in the Pays de la Loire region, and is a member of the Movement for France party.-References:*...
(RASNAGNon-InscritsNon-Inscrits are Members of the European Parliament who do not sit in one of the recognized political groups....
) - MEPs: Philippe de VilliersPhilippe de VilliersViscount Philippe Le Jolis de Villiers de Saintignon, known as Philippe de Villiers, born on 25 March 1949, is a French politician. He was the Mouvement pour la France nominee for the French presidential election of 2007. He received 2.23% of the vote, putting him in sixth place. As only the top...
(EFDEurope of Freedom and DemocracyEurope of Freedom and Democracy is a Eurosceptic political group in the European Parliament. Formed after the European parliamentary election in 2009, it is mostly made up of elements of the now defunct Independence/Democracy and Union for a Europe of Nations groups from the out-going...
)
The MPF currently controls one general council, that of Vendée
Vendée
The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department.-History:...
, where Villiers serves as President of the General Council
President of the general council
In France, the President of the General Council is the locally-elected head of the General Council, the assembly governing a departments in France. The position is elected by the general councillors from among their number. If there is a tie, the senior Councillor is elected.The President of the...
. It has 10 general councillors in Vendée in addition to one in the Morbihan
Morbihan
Morbihan is a department in Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Morbihan , the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastline.-History:...
(Quiberon
Quiberon
Quiberon is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.It is situated on the southern part of the Quiberon peninsula, the northern part being the commune of Saint-Pierre-Quiberon...
), one in the Meuse
Meuse
Meuse is a department in northeast France, named after the River Meuse.-History:Meuse is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
(Charny-sur-Meuse
Charny-sur-Meuse
Charny-sur-Meuse is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Meuse department...
) and two in the Vaucluse
Vaucluse
The Vaucluse is a department in the southeast of France, named after the famous spring, the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.- History :Vaucluse was created on 12 August 1793 out of parts of the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, and Basses-Alpes...
(Orange
Orange, Vaucluse
Orange is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It has a primarily agricultural economy...
). It claims 5 regional councillors, most of which were elected on FN lists in 2004.