Citizen and Republican Movement

Citizen and Republican Movement Mouvement républicain et citoyen
Leader	Jean-Luc Laurent
Founded	1993 (MDC) 2002 (PR) 2003 (MRC)
Headquarters	9 rue du Faubourg Poissonnière 75009 Paris
Ideology	Left-wing populism, Social democracy, Euroscepticism, Souverainism
International affiliation	None
European affiliation	None
Official colours	Red, Blue
Seats in the National Assembly
Seats in the Senate
Seats in the European Parliament
Seats in Regional Councils
Website
www.mrc-france.org/
Politics of France Political parties Elections Constitution of France Parliament; Government; President

The Citizen and Republican Movement (Mouvement républicain et citoyen) is a political party in France. The party replaced, in 2002, the Citizens' Movement founded by Jean-Pierre Chevènement, who left the Socialist Party (PS) in 1993 due to his opposition to the Persian Gulf War and to the Maastricht Treaty. It is an euro-sceptic party with leftist aspirations.

Chevènement led the list l'autre politique (the Other policy) for 1994 European Parliament election. It included members of left-wing opposition (socialist and communist candidates) to Maastricht treaty, feminists, radicals and Gaullists.

The MDC supported the Socialist candidate Lionel Jospin for the 1995 presidential election, then integrated the Gauche plurielle coalition. From 1997 to 2000, it was represented in the government by Chevènement as Interior Minister. In order to prepare the 2002 presidential election, Chevènement created the Pôle républicain, which included a wide range of politicians: radicals, Gaullists, souverainists, socialists. He won over 5% and is sometimes blamed for Jospin's elimination. Its lack of success in the legislative election (losing all 7 MDC deputies elected in 1997) prompted Chevènement to ditch the name and rename his party Citizen and Republican Movement. Chevènement himself was defeated in his stronghold in Territoire-de-Belfort.

The foundation of the MRC meant a realignment to the left. Indeed, the Pôle républicain was supposed to gather "the Republicans of the left and the right".

Chevènement and the MRC supported the Socialist Ségolène Royal's candidacy in the 2007 presidential election, to prevent a new April 21, 2002 shock. The MRC fielded candidates in the French legislative election, 2007, including Chevènement in Territoire-de-Belfort, seat he had lost in 2002 to the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP). He himself failed to win back his seat, but a former Gaullist of the left, Christian Hutin was elected in the Nord département.

The party has one Senator, Jean-Pierre Chevènement, who sits in the European Democratic and Social Rally (RDSE) group, which is ironically the most Europhile group. It also has 19 regional councillors and 8 general councillors.

In the 2009 European Parliament election, the party will not run or support any list. Negotiations with the PS and the new Left Front failed.

External links

• Official web site