French conservatism in early XXI century: new challenges and new leaders

The evolution of conservative ideology through the party struggle in contemporary France is under investigation in the essay. The transformation of ideological positions and political activities of French moderate right parties of early XXI century is inscribed in the context of the debate on multiculturalism in France. The contribution of Neo-Gaullist leaders of the “Union for a Popular Movement” (Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy and Jean-Francois Copé) to the evolution of the moderate right political agenda and the agenda of the French conservative camp as a whole is analyzed. The author emphasizes the prospect of forming a three-party system in France due to electoral successes of the National Front headed by Marin Le Pen and argues that mainstream parties played an important role in increasing the influence of the FN. The UMP used the Front’s anti-immigration slogans and actively moved to the right in the 2000–2010s in accordance with the presidential ambitions of Sarkozy who openly declared himself as a right politician and thereby waived Gaullist values for the first time in the history of the Gaullist and Neo-Gaullist movement. After Sarkozy’s retiring the UMP has a chance to return to the positions of a moderate right party, but the victory of Copé demonstrates that Sarkozy’s course has been continuing. The UMP’s prospects at the moment depend primarily on the decision of leadership which is closely related to the definition of ideological position and the place in the political space. The largest French party is now weakened and not able to compete with the National Front effectively.