A lot of ink will be spilled over Nicolas Sarkozy’s desire to transform the UMP into “Les Républicains”.
It is true, the name UMP (which initially stood for Union for a Presidential Majority, before becoming the Union for a Popular Movement) has become increasingly burdensome. After an electoral defeat in 2012, and the pitiful internal election of 2012, the Bygmalion affair ended up tarnishing the image of France’s leading right-wing party, adding financial shenanigans to the lies and deceit.
To get out of the deadlock, without being able this time to accuse the socialist party, a solution had to be found. The urgency is even more pronounced with the continuous electoral rise of the National Front, as the future Republicans become increasingly torn between the wishes of their voters and moral discipline towards the traditional values of their political actions.
Returning to the leadership of the UMP, although pursued by legal issues, Nicolas Sarkozy seems to have become the French Janus of politics. While sometimes playing the center to leave no space for the Juppé/Fillon duo, he preferably occupies his right-wing to potentially benefit from vote transfers that could allow him to win, as he did in 2007, thanks to the far-right votes.
In fact, Nicolas Sarkozy seems to be struck by the virus of “Russophilia”, which some describe as the “temptation of Moscow”. His positions not hostile to Russia in international politics (Ukraine) showcase this tendency.
Moreover, it is precisely in Russia that the French right-wing might find the model it lacks to seize power. Russia, with its presidential political regime, is indeed led by a political bloc ranging from the center to the far-right, but with a head of state who visibly has a certain sovereignist idea of his role.
The main guidelines of Russian governance, its ultimate values in a way, are unambiguously defined. Among them are sovereignty, patriotism, moral and societal conservatism, the necessity of a strong state, and the awareness of the country’s superior interests.
France has known 15 centuries of monarchical rather than republican history. In fact, with this name change, the “republicans” will make their debut on the political scene; the “monarch”, however, is already seated on the throne.
