Rally the Centrists
Encyclopedia
is a French
political association
founded on July 16, 2008 by Jean Arthuis
, a centrist Senator of Mayenne
. The association unites elected officials and activists of centrist
political ideology, most of which used to be members of the Union for French Democracy
(UDF). The association's goal is to prepare the creation of a new centrist political party of the centre which would unite all the centrist forces, currently divided between parties such as the Democratic Movement
, New Centre
, Radical Party, Civic Alliance for Democracy in Europe
.
in 2007, a number of UDF officials, including Arthuis, were skeptical about the new party. However, they at first joined the MoDem, participating in the Villepinte
Congress, but they later distanced themselves from the independent strategy of the MoDem's President François Bayrou
. This came to a climax following the MoDem's poor showing in the municipal
and cantonal
elections in March 2008.
On May 21 2008, Arthuis and Thierry Cornillet
(MoDem MEP
who has since joined the Radical Party) published a petition signed by 17 Centrist Union
Senators, one deputy and four MEPs.
Michel Mercier
, former President of the Centrist Union group and now Minister of Agriculture, was also a signatory. According to Laurent de Boissieu, a political journalist, as of April 16, 2009, the organization included 16 Senators; of which 6 were members of the MoDem, 4 of the NC and 6 were members of neither of these parties.
The newspaper Ouest France said on April 7 2009 said that Arthuis wanted to run candidates in upcoming regional, cantonal and Senate elections. In a May 2009 by-election in the canton of Poissy-Sud, the organization ran a candidate who obtained 2.93% of the vote, last place.
Finally, the Centrist Alliance
emerged as a political party on June 27, 2009. It has, however, been slow to get off the ground.
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...
political association
Voluntary association
A voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body to accomplish a purpose.Strictly speaking, in many jurisdictions no formalities are necessary to start an association...
founded on July 16, 2008 by Jean Arthuis
Jean Arthuis
Jean Arthuis is a French politician and member of the Senate of France. He has held various ministerial positions, especially regarding finances, and is now head of the Finance Commission of the French Senate.He is the President of the Centrist Alliance political party and is a member of the...
, a centrist Senator of Mayenne
Mayenne
Mayenne is a department in northwest France named after the Mayenne River.-History:Mayenne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. The northern two thirds correspond to the western part of the former province of Maine...
. The association unites elected officials and activists of centrist
Centrism
In politics, centrism is the ideal or the practice of promoting policies that lie different from the standard political left and political right. Most commonly, this is visualized as part of the one-dimensional political spectrum of left-right politics, with centrism landing in the middle between...
political ideology, most of which used to be members of the Union for French Democracy
Union for French Democracy
The Union for French Democracy was a French centrist political party. It was founded in 1978 as an electoral alliance to support President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing in order to counterbalance the Gaullist preponderance over the right. This name was chosen due to the title of Giscard d'Estaing's...
(UDF). The association's goal is to prepare the creation of a new centrist political party of the centre which would unite all the centrist forces, currently divided between parties such as the Democratic Movement
Democratic Movement (France)
The Democratic Movement , MoDem) is a centrist, social liberal and pro-European French political party that was founded by centrist politician François Bayrou to succeed his Union for French Democracy and to contest the 2007 legislative election, after his strong showing in the 2007 presidential...
, New Centre
New Centre
New Centre , also known as the European Social Liberal Party is a centre-right political party in France, formed by the members of the Union for French Democracy – including a majority of former parliamentarians – who did not agree with François Bayrou's...
, Radical Party, Civic Alliance for Democracy in Europe
Civic Alliance for Democracy in Europe
The Civic Alliance for Democracy in Europe is a liberal political party in France.It was launched in January 2008 by Jean-Marie Cavada, Claire Gibault and Janelly Fourtou, three MEPs elected for Union for French Democracy...
.
Creation
Upon the dissolution of the UDF into the MoDemDemocratic Movement (France)
The Democratic Movement , MoDem) is a centrist, social liberal and pro-European French political party that was founded by centrist politician François Bayrou to succeed his Union for French Democracy and to contest the 2007 legislative election, after his strong showing in the 2007 presidential...
in 2007, a number of UDF officials, including Arthuis, were skeptical about the new party. However, they at first joined the MoDem, participating in the Villepinte
Villepinte, Seine-Saint-Denis
Villepinte is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Heraldry:-Transport:Villepinte is served by three stations on Paris RER line B: Villepinte, Parc des Expositions, and Vert-Galant....
Congress, but they later distanced themselves from the independent strategy of the MoDem's President François Bayrou
François Bayrou
François Bayrou is a French centrist politician, president of Union for French Democracy since 1998 and was a candidate in the 2002 and 2007 French presidential elections. In the first round, he received 18.6% of the vote, finishing in 3rd place and therefore was eliminated from the race....
. This came to a climax following the MoDem's poor showing in the municipal
French municipal elections, 2008
The French municipal elections of 2008 were held on 9 March in that year to elect the municipal councils of France's 36,782 communes...
and cantonal
French cantonal elections, 2008
Cantonal elections to elect half the membership of the general councils of France's 100 departments were held on 9 and 16 March 2008. These elections coincided with the municipal elections, in which the left did well.-Electoral system:...
elections in March 2008.
On May 21 2008, Arthuis and Thierry Cornillet
Thierry Cornillet
Thierry Cornillet is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament for the south-east of France. He is a member of the Union for French Democracy, which is part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Development...
(MoDem MEP
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,...
who has since joined the Radical Party) published a petition signed by 17 Centrist Union
Centrist Union
The Centrist Union is a current parliamentary group in the French Senate founded in 1983. As of April 2009, the UC group has 29 Senators.Since the 2008 Senate elections, the group is known as the Centrist Union. Prior to that, between 2005 and 2008, it was known as the Centrist Union-Union for...
Senators, one deputy and four MEPs.
Members
Since the organization is not a political party, signatories may opt to remain members of their respective parties.- Senators: Nicolas AboutNicolas AboutNicolas About is a French politician from the centrist MoDem. he is a member of the French Senate and President of the Centrist Union group. About was the mayor of Montigny-le-Bretonneux from 1977 to 2004. He was elected senator of Yvelines on September 24, 1995, and reelected on September 26,...
(MoDem), Jean ArthuisJean ArthuisJean Arthuis is a French politician and member of the Senate of France. He has held various ministerial positions, especially regarding finances, and is now head of the Finance Commission of the French Senate.He is the President of the Centrist Alliance political party and is a member of the...
, Claude BiwerClaude BiwerClaude Biwer is a member of the Senate of France, representing the Meuse department. He is a member of the New Centre and sits in the Senate as a member of the Centrist Union group.-References:...
(NCNew CentreNew Centre , also known as the European Social Liberal Party is a centre-right political party in France, formed by the members of the Union for French Democracy – including a majority of former parliamentarians – who did not agree with François Bayrou's...
), Jean BoyerJean BoyerJean Boyer was a French film director and songwriter.- Songs :* 1930 : Un regardé, dans le film Flagrant délit...
(NC), Marcel DeneuxMarcel DeneuxMarcel Deneux is a member of the Senate of France. He represents the Somme department and is a member of the Union for French Democracy Party.-References:*...
, Yves DétraigneYves DétraigneYves Détraigne is a French politician and a member of the Senate of France. He represents the Marne department and is a member of the Centrist Alliance.-References:*...
(MoDem), Muguette DiniMuguette DiniMuguette Dini is a French politician and a member of the Senate of France. She represents the Rhône department and is a member of the Centrist Alliance.-References:*...
, Françoise FératFrançoise FératFrançoise Férat is a French politician and a member of the Senate of France. She represents the Marne department and is a member of the Centrist Alliance.-References:*...
(MoDem), Christian GaudinChristian GaudinChristian Gaudin is a member of the Senate of France, representing the Maine-et-Loire department. He is a member of the Centrist Union.-References:*...
, Adrien GiraudAdrien GiraudAdrien Giraud is a member of the Senate of France, representing the island of Mayotte. He is a member of the Centrist Union. He was a baseball player before then in the tampabay rays.-References:*...
(MoDem), Joseph KerguerisJoseph KerguerisJoseph Kergueris is a member of the Senate of France, representing the Morbihan department. He is a member of the Centrist Union.-Biography:Joseph Kergueris began his political career as mayor of Landévant in 1971...
, Jean-Claude MerceronJean-Claude MerceronJean-Claude Merceron is a member of the Senate of France, representing the Vendée department. He is a member of the Centrist Alliance and caucuses with the Centrist Union.-References:*...
, Catherine Morin-DesaillyCatherine Morin-DesaillyCatherine Morin-Desailly is a member of the Senate of France, representing the Seine-Maritime department. She is a member of the Centrist Union.-References:*...
(NC), Philippe Nogrix (former Senator), Anne-Marie PayetAnne-Marie PayetAnne-Marie Payet is a member of the Senate of France, representing the island of Réunion. She is a member of the Centrist Union.-References:*...
, André Vallet (former Senator), François ZocchettoFrançois ZocchettoFrançois Zocchetto is a member of the Senate of France, representing the Mayenne department. He is a member of the Centrist Alliance and caucuses with the Centrist Union.-References:*... - Deputies: Thierry BenoitThierry BenoitThierry Benoit is a member of the National Assembly of France. He represents the Ille-et-Vilaine department, is a member of the Centrist Alliance and caucuses with the New Centre.-References:...
- MEPs: Thierry CornilletThierry CornilletThierry Cornillet is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament for the south-east of France. He is a member of the Union for French Democracy, which is part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Development...
(ex-MoDem-Radical); Jean-Marie CavadaJean-Marie CavadaJean-Marie Cavada is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Ile de France....
, Claire GibaultClaire Gibaultright|thumb|200px|Claire Gibault at a rally for François Bayrou, centrist candidate in the 2007 French presidential electionClaire Gibault is a French conductor and politician and a Member of the European Parliament for the south-east of France...
, Janelly FourtouJanelly FourtouJanelly Fourtou is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament for central France. She is a member of the Union for French Democracy, which is part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions and its Committee on...
(ACDECivic Alliance for Democracy in EuropeThe Civic Alliance for Democracy in Europe is a liberal political party in France.It was launched in January 2008 by Jean-Marie Cavada, Claire Gibault and Janelly Fourtou, three MEPs elected for Union for French Democracy...
)
Michel Mercier
Michel Mercier
Michel Mercier is a French politician and cabinet minister since 2009.After studying law and graduation from the Lyon IEP, he taught finance and local government law at the Faculty of Law of Lyon II....
, former President of the Centrist Union group and now Minister of Agriculture, was also a signatory. According to Laurent de Boissieu, a political journalist, as of April 16, 2009, the organization included 16 Senators; of which 6 were members of the MoDem, 4 of the NC and 6 were members of neither of these parties.
Evolution into a political party
On January 31 2009, at the association's executive team meeting, the members re-affirmed their desire to transform the association into a political party.The newspaper Ouest France said on April 7 2009 said that Arthuis wanted to run candidates in upcoming regional, cantonal and Senate elections. In a May 2009 by-election in the canton of Poissy-Sud, the organization ran a candidate who obtained 2.93% of the vote, last place.
Finally, the Centrist Alliance
Centrist Alliance
The ' is a centrist political party in France.It was founded in June 2009 by Jean Arthuis, a former member of the Union for French Democracy and currently Senator for the Mayenne department, where he also serves as President of the General Council.The party is seen as a successor to Arthuis'...
emerged as a political party on June 27, 2009. It has, however, been slow to get off the ground.