Centre Démocrate

political party, France

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June 24, 2026

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The Centre Démocrate was a French political party that emerged in February 1966. It was formed by the consolidation of several right-centre parties, including the Popular Republican Movement (MRP), to support Jean Lecanuet's presidential candidacy. The party aimed to establish a unified centrist political force in France.

The MRP, founded in 1944, was a significant party during the Fourth Republic, largely aligning with European Christian Democratic traditions. However, as political polarization increased during the Cold War, the MRP saw its support decline. The Centre Démocrate itself struggled to gain significant electoral traction, failing to secure more than 13 percent of the vote in the 1967 and 1968 legislative elections. By the end of 1967, its influence had waned considerably.1

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Popular Republican Movement
…into a centre party, the Centre Démocrate, founded in February 1966. Legislative elections in 1967 and 1968, however, brought fresh defeats for the centre, which failed to win more than 13 percent of the vote in either election. By the end of 1967 the MRP had become little more than…
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…into a centre party, the Centre Démocrate, founded in February 1966. Legislative elections in 1967 and 1968, however, brought fresh defeats for the centre, which failed to win more than 13 percent of the vote in either election. By the end of 1967 the MRP had become little more than…
Read More