Rally for Caledonia in the Republic
Encyclopedia
The The Rally–UMP is a conservative political party
in New Caledonia
, strongly supportive of the French
status of the region; it is affiliated with the French Union for a Popular Movement
.
leader Jacques Lafleur
founded the Rally for Caledonia (RPC) which became the Rally for Caledonia in the Republic (RPCR) in 1978 following its affiliation with the Rally for the Republic
(RPR) in France
. The RPCR was originally a big tent for a large majority of loyalists, whether they were liberals or close supporters of Jacques Chirac
(such as Lafleur). However, the first cracks in the RPCR appeared in 1995, when Lafleur broke his historical friendship with Chirac to endorse Balladur in the 1995 presidential election in France
. Didier Leroux, the strongman of the local managerial trade union and a close supporter of Jacques Chirac, left the RPCR to found a party named A New Caledonia for All). However, the RPCR remained, by far, the largest loyalist party in the 1994 and 1999 elections. It became the Rassemblement-UMP after the creation of the Union for a Popular Movement
in France
in 2002, but kept the RPCR acronym.
However, the RPCR started massively cracking ahead of the 2004 elections
. In 2004, a group of RPCR dissidents who opposed Lafleur’s authoritarian leadership formed the Future Together
party. The new party included Marie-Noëlle Thémereau
, who had left the RPCR in 2001 and supported Lionel Jospin
in the French presidential election, 2002
; Harold Martin
, Lafleur’s dauphin but excluded in 2003 for running a dissident list in the 2001 local elections
; and Philippe Gomès
, a friend of Martin.
In the 2004 election
, the RPCR obtained its worst result to date, obtaining 24.43% and only 16 Congressmen. Future Together won 22.69% and 16 seats, but it won more votes than the RPCR in the loyalist stronghold of South Province
. Gomès became Provincial President, and Harold Martin
became President of the Government of New Caledonia
.
In 2005, Lafleur announced his intentions to step down in favour of Pierre Frogier
, who represented New Caledonia's 2nd constituency
and was a close supporter of the President of the UMP in France, now-President Nicolas Sarkozy
. Frogier was seen as Lafleur's chosen successor. However, he came back on this decision and ran against Frogier for the RPCR leadership at the party congress. Frogier defeated Lafleur by a large margin, and Lafleur left the RPCR to form the Rally for Caledonia
(RPC).
Despite its decline, the RPCR held both of New Caledonia's seats in the French National Assembly
in the 2007 elections
. In the 1st constituency
, representing the capital city of Nouméa
, Gaël Yanno
defeated a Kanak nationalist but most notably the incumbent, Jacques Lafleur, who had won the seat since 1986.
In the 2009 election
, the RPCR obtained a lower result than in 2004, despite the division in Future Together
. The RPCR obtained only 20.3% and a mere 13 Congressmen. However, the RPCR became the largest party in the New Caledonia and regained first place in the South Province
. Therefore, the party will probably be able to impose Pierre Frogier
as President of the Government.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, strongly supportive of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
status of the region; it is affiliated with the French 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...
.
History
In 1977, which saw the start of an outright nationalist movement on the left, anti-nationalist (loyalist) CaldocheCaldoche
Caldoche is the name given to European inhabitants of the French territory of New Caledonia, mostly native-born French settlers. The formal name to refer to this particular population is Calédoniens, short for the very formal Néo-Calédoniens, however this self-appellation technically includes all...
leader Jacques Lafleur
Jacques Lafleur
Jacques Lafleur was a French politician born in Nouméa, New Caledonia.Lafleur was a onetime leader of one of the two anti-independence parties in New Caledonia, the RPCR . He was a signatory to the Matignon Accords in 1988 and the Nouméa Accord in 1998...
founded the Rally for Caledonia (RPC) which became the Rally for Caledonia in the Republic (RPCR) in 1978 following its affiliation with the Rally for the Republic
Rally for the Republic
The Rally for the Republic , was a French right-wing political party. Originating from the Union of Democrats for the Republic , it was founded by Jacques Chirac in 1976 and presented itself as the heir of Gaullism...
(RPR) in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The RPCR was originally a big tent for a large majority of loyalists, whether they were liberals or close supporters of 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...
(such as Lafleur). However, the first cracks in the RPCR appeared in 1995, when Lafleur broke his historical friendship with Chirac to endorse Balladur in the 1995 presidential election in France
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...
. Didier Leroux, the strongman of the local managerial trade union and a close supporter of Jacques Chirac, left the RPCR to found a party named A New Caledonia for All). However, the RPCR remained, by far, the largest loyalist party in the 1994 and 1999 elections. It became the Rassemblement-UMP after the creation of the 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...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 2002, but kept the RPCR acronym.
However, the RPCR started massively cracking ahead of the 2004 elections
New Caledonian legislative election, 2004
Legislative elections for the Congress were held in New Caledonia on 9 May 2004. Although the Rally for Caledonia in the Republic and Future Together both won 16 seats, Future Together's Marie-Noëlle Thémereau became President....
. In 2004, a group of RPCR dissidents who opposed Lafleur’s authoritarian leadership formed the Future Together
Future Together
The Future Together is a center-right political party in New Caledonia supporting the maintenance of political and administrative ties with France....
party. The new party included Marie-Noëlle Thémereau
Marie-Noëlle Thémereau
Marie-Noëlle Thémereau is the former president of the government of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. She is a member of the loyalist Future Together party...
, who had left the RPCR in 2001 and supported Lionel Jospin
Lionel Jospin
Lionel Jospin is a French politician, who served as Prime Minister of France from 1997 to 2002.Jospin was the Socialist Party candidate for President of France in the elections of 1995 and 2002. He was narrowly defeated in the final runoff election by Jacques Chirac in 1995...
in the French presidential election, 2002
French presidential election, 2002
The 2002 French presidential election consisted of a first round election on 21 April 2002, and a runoff election between the top two candidates on 5 May 2002. This presidential contest attracted a greater than usual amount of international attention because of Le Pen's unexpected appearance in...
; Harold Martin
Harold Martin
Harold Martin may refer to:* Harold Martin , VFL player and VFA coach* Harold Martin , Member of the New Jersey General Assembly* Harold Martin , politician of New Caledonia...
, Lafleur’s dauphin but excluded in 2003 for running a dissident list in the 2001 local elections
French municipal elections, 2001
Municipal elections were held in France on 11 and 18 March 2001. These elections were marked by a setback for the left and a victory for the right one year before the 2002 presidential election...
; and Philippe Gomès
Philippe Gomès
Philippe Gomès is a New Caledonian politician and, from 5 June 2009 to 11 March 2011, President of the Government of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean....
, a friend of Martin.
In the 2004 election
New Caledonian legislative election, 2004
Legislative elections for the Congress were held in New Caledonia on 9 May 2004. Although the Rally for Caledonia in the Republic and Future Together both won 16 seats, Future Together's Marie-Noëlle Thémereau became President....
, the RPCR obtained its worst result to date, obtaining 24.43% and only 16 Congressmen. Future Together won 22.69% and 16 seats, but it won more votes than the RPCR in the loyalist stronghold of South Province
South Province, New Caledonia
The South Province is one of three administrative subdivisions in New Caledonia. It corresponds to the southern and southwestern portion of the New Caledonian mainland. It is by far the most economically developed and most urbanized part of the archipelago and indeed in the entire Melanesian region...
. Gomès became Provincial President, and Harold Martin
Harold Martin
Harold Martin may refer to:* Harold Martin , VFL player and VFA coach* Harold Martin , Member of the New Jersey General Assembly* Harold Martin , politician of New Caledonia...
became President of the Government of New Caledonia
President of the Government of New Caledonia
This is the list of Presidents of the Government of New Caledonia since 1998, when the Nouméa Accord was signed. The President is often from the largest party in the Congress of New Caledonia, though the government itself is made up of cabinet ministers from all parties in Congress, allocated...
.
In 2005, Lafleur announced his intentions to step down in favour of Pierre Frogier
Pierre Frogier
Pierre Frogier is a French politician, who was President of the Government of New Caledonia from 2001 to 2004.He was born in Nouméa....
, who represented New Caledonia's 2nd constituency
New Caledonia's 2nd constituency
The 2nd constituency of New Caledonia is a French legislative constituency in New Caledonia.The second constituency was created in a redistricting in 1978. Between 1978 and a new redistricting in 1986, the second constituency represented the ethnically diverse western shore of the main island, but...
and was a close supporter of the President of the UMP in France, now-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....
. Frogier was seen as Lafleur's chosen successor. However, he came back on this decision and ran against Frogier for the RPCR leadership at the party congress. Frogier defeated Lafleur by a large margin, and Lafleur left the RPCR to form the Rally for Caledonia
Rally for Caledonia
The Rally for Caledonia is a Gaullist political party in New Caledonia, strongly supportive of the French status of the region; it is close to the French Union for a Popular Movement.-History:...
(RPC).
Despite its decline, the RPCR held both of New Caledonia's seats in the French National Assembly
French National Assembly
The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
in the 2007 elections
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...
. In the 1st constituency
New Caledonia's 1st constituency
The 1st constituency of New Caledonia is a French legislative constituency in New Caledonia.Between 1958 and 1962, the constituency represented the entirety of the New Hebrides condominium and the constituency represented the entirety of New Caledonia until a redistricting in 1978 created the 2nd...
, representing the capital city of Nouméa
Nouméa
Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
, Gaël Yanno
Gaël Yanno
Gaël Yanno is a member of the National Assembly of France. He represents the island of New Caledonia, with Pierre Frogier, and is a member of the Union for a Popular Movement. He is a member of the commission of finance, general economy and budgetary control. He has been elected in June,...
defeated a Kanak nationalist but most notably the incumbent, Jacques Lafleur, who had won the seat since 1986.
In the 2009 election
New Caledonian legislative election, 2009
Parliamentary elections were held in New Caledonia on 10 May 2009. Voters in New Caledonia chose 76 candidates for the French territory's three provincial assemblies. Fifty-four of these 76 members were also to become members of the Congress of New Caledonia...
, the RPCR obtained a lower result than in 2004, despite the division in Future Together
Future Together
The Future Together is a center-right political party in New Caledonia supporting the maintenance of political and administrative ties with France....
. The RPCR obtained only 20.3% and a mere 13 Congressmen. However, the RPCR became the largest party in the New Caledonia and regained first place in the South Province
South Province, New Caledonia
The South Province is one of three administrative subdivisions in New Caledonia. It corresponds to the southern and southwestern portion of the New Caledonian mainland. It is by far the most economically developed and most urbanized part of the archipelago and indeed in the entire Melanesian region...
. Therefore, the party will probably be able to impose Pierre Frogier
Pierre Frogier
Pierre Frogier is a French politician, who was President of the Government of New Caledonia from 2001 to 2004.He was born in Nouméa....
as President of the Government.