Democratic Convention (France) facts for kids

The Democratic Convention (called Convention démocrate in French) is a political group in France. It is led by Hervé de Charette. This group believes in ideas that are in the middle ground of politics, often called "centrist" or "liberal." It is a continuation of an older group called the Popular Party for French Democracy.

What is the Democratic Convention?

The Democratic Convention is a political party in France. It focuses on ideas that are both "centrist" and "liberal." This means it tries to find a balance between different political views. It often supports individual freedoms and a strong economy. The party is currently led by Hervé de Charette.

How it Started: The Popular Party

The story of the Democratic Convention began in July 1995. Back then, it was called the Popular Party for French Democracy (PPDF). This new party was created to follow an older group called the Perspectives and Realities Clubs.

Joining the UDF

The PPDF became part of a larger group called the Union for French Democracy (UDF). The UDF was a big alliance of center-right parties in France.

A Split in 1995

During the 1995 French presidential election, many politicians from the UDF supported a different leader. They backed Edouard Balladur, who was the Prime Minister at the time. However, the founder of the UDF, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, wanted them to support Jacques Chirac.

Because of this disagreement, the PPDF was formed. It was created to bring together the politicians who stayed loyal to Giscard d'Estaing. Some of these loyal members included Hervé de Charette, Jean-Pierre Fourcade, and Dominique Bussereau. Even with the PPDF, Giscard d'Estaing left his leadership role in the UDF in 1996.

Changes and Mergers

In 1998, the PPDF helped change the UDF. The UDF went from being an alliance of many parties to becoming one single party. Even so, the PPDF kept some of its independence. Some of its members, like Jean-François Mattei and Jean-Pierre Raffarin, left to join another group called Liberal Democracy.

Becoming the Democratic Convention

In 2002, the PPDF joined a much larger political party called the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP). When it merged, the group became a special section within the UMP. This is when it officially changed its name to the Democratic Convention.

New Alliances

The Democratic Convention stayed connected to the UMP, which was led by President Nicolas Sarkozy, until 2010. Later, in May and June of 2011, the party joined a new group. This new group was a centrist alliance called The Alliance, led by Jean-Louis Borloo.