Union for a Popular Movement

political party, France

Also known as: UMP, Union for the Presidential Majority

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

The Union for a Popular Movement (Union pour un Mouvement Populaire; UMP) was a French political party formed in 2002 through the merger of the Rally for the Republic (RPR) and other center-right parties. It was a successor to Gaullist traditions, tracing its roots back to Charles de Gaulle's political movements. The UMP aimed to unite various conservative factions under a single banner.12

The party was successful in securing the reelection of Jacques Chirac as president in 2002. However, the UMP faced challenges, including internal rivalries and public dissatisfaction, as seen in protests against government policies and the rejection of the European Union constitution by French voters. The party's political landscape evolved, with figures like Nicolas Sarkozy playing significant roles.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

4 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Jacques Chirac
First term
…Presidential Majority (later renamed the Union for a Popular Movement; UMP). In the spring of the same year—despite criticism for various ethical lapses and accusations of illegal fund-raising levied against the RPR—Chirac won the first round of France’s presidential balloting over right-wing nationalist Jean-Marie Le Pen and Jospin, whose third-place…
Read More
…Presidential Majority (later renamed the Union for a Popular Movement; UMP). In the spring of the same year—despite criticism for various ethical lapses and accusations of illegal fund-raising levied against the RPR—Chirac won the first round of France’s presidential balloting over right-wing nationalist Jean-Marie Le Pen and Jospin, whose third-place…
Read More

Jean-Pierre Raffarin
…Presidential Majority (later renamed the Union for a Popular Movement [Union pour un Mouvement Populaire; UMP]). Chirac, following his resounding victory in the presidential runoff, named Raffarin prime minister on May 6, 2002.
Read More
…Presidential Majority (later renamed the Union for a Popular Movement [Union pour un Mouvement Populaire; UMP]). Chirac, following his resounding victory in the presidential runoff, named Raffarin prime minister on May 6, 2002.
Read More

Nicolas Sarkozy
Rise to UMP leader
…becoming president of the center-right Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party, the neo-Gaullist successor party to the Rally for the Republic that Chirac had founded. Sarkozy chose the UMP job and quit the government in November 2004. In the wake of the May 2005 referendum in which French voters…
Read More
…becoming president of the center-right Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party, the neo-Gaullist successor party to the Rally for the Republic that Chirac had founded. Sarkozy chose the UMP job and quit the government in November 2004. In the wake of the May 2005 referendum in which French voters…
Read More