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RPR Home = Rally for the Republic, as an abbreviation for the French name of this defunct French political party, Rassemblement pour la République;

The Rally for the Republic, also known by its acronym RPR (Rassemblement pour la République), was a French right-wing political party. Originating from the UDR, it was founded by Jacques Chirac in 1976 and posed as the heir of Gaullism. On September 21, 2002, the RPR was merged into the Union pour la Majorité Présidentielle (Union for a Presidential Majority), later renamed the Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (Union for a Popular Movement).

The RPR was, by far, Jacques Chirac's movement and electoral machine, though at times, such as in 1995, Chirac had failed to fully control it and prevent another candidate from opposing him. In addition, some Gaullists such as Charles Pasqua, a founding member of the RPR, left the party, denouncing policies that they deemed too supportive of the power of the European Union, which they felt to be at odds with the Gaullist doctrine of national independence.

Without to leave the pesidential majority, the RPR criticized the executive duo composed of President Giscard d'Estaing and Raymond Barre. In December 1978, six months before the European Parliament election, the Call of Cochin denounced the appropriation of France by "the foreign party", which sacrificed the national interests and the independence of the country in order to build a federal Europe. This accusation targeted clearly Giscard d'Estaing. Besides, the RPR opposed the social doctrine of Gaullism to the presidential liberalism.

The RPR supported Chirac at the 1981 presidential election but he was eliminated in the first round. He refused to give instruction of vote for the second round, even if he said "in a private capacity", he will vote for Giscard d'Estaing. In fact, the RPR was suspected to work for the defeat of the incumbent president.

While the Socialist leader François Mitterrand became President, the RPR gradually abandoned the Gaullist doctrine, adopting the European and liberal positions of the Union for French Democracy (Union pour la démocratie française or UDF). The two parties competed for the leadership of the right-wing opposition, but they presented a common list at the 1984 European Parliament election and a platform to prepare the winning 1986 legislative election.

From 1986 to 1988, Chirac "cohabited" as Prime minister with Mitterrand, but lost the 1988 presidential election. After his defeat, his ledership was challenged by younger politicians who wished to renew the right. Furthemore, the abandonment of the Gaullist doctrine was criticized by Charles Pasqua and Philippe Séguin. They tried to take him the RPR lead in 1990, in vain. However, the division re-appeared with the 1992 Maastricht referendum. Chirac voted "yes" whereas Séguin and Pasqua campaigned for "no".

The "Union for France", a RPR/UDF coalition, won the 1993 legislative election. Chirac refused to re-cohabit with Mitterrand, and his man of confidence Edouard Balladur became Prime minister. This one promised he will not candidate at the 1995 presidential election. Nevertheless, polls indicated Balladur was the favorite in the presidential race and furthemore, he was supported by the most part of the right-wing politicians. He decided finally to be candidate against Chirac. However, they claimed they remained "friends for 30 years".

The Socialist being weakent after the 14 years of Mitterrand's presidency, the main stake was the competition in the right, between Balladur and Chirac, two Neo-Gaullists. Balladur proposed a liberal programme and took advantage of the "positive results" of his cabinet, whereas Chirac advocated keynesianism to reduce the "social fracture" and criticized the "dominant ideas", targeting Balladur. Chirac won the 1995 presidential election.

In November 1995, his Prime Minister Alain Juppé, "the best among us" for Chirac, announced a plan of Welfare-State reforms which sparked wide social conflict. President Chirac dissolved the National Assembly and lost the 1997 legislative election. He was forced to cohabit with a left-wing cabinet led by Lionel Jospin until 2002.

Séguin succeded to Juppé as RPR leader. But, he criticized the ascendancy of President Chirac over the party. He resigned during the 1999 European campaign while Pasqua presented a dissident list to advocate the Gaullist idea of a "Europe of nations". Pasqua founded the Rally for France (Rassemblement pour la France or RPF) and obtained more votes than the RPR official list led by Nicolas Sarkozy. Michèle Alliot-Marie was elected RPR leader, against the will of President Chirac who supported covertly another candidate.

Before the 2002 presidential election, both RPR and non-RPR supporters of Chirac gathered in an association: the "Union on the move". It became the Union for the Presidential Majority (Union pour la majorité présidentielle or UMP) after the April 21 electoral shock. Chirac was re-elected and the new party won the legislative election.

Prior to its replacement by the UMP, the RPR had been increasingly embroiled in judicial proceedings following from the corruption scandals in the Paris region. Its former secretary-general Alain Juppé was sentenced in 2004 for a related felony.

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