Fillon and Copé agree new election

FEUDING between the two would-be leaders of the UMP Party, its elected president Jean-François Copé and François Fillon, is over - new elections will be held next year.

The two men came to the agreement after a meeting at Fillon’s parliamentary offices.

Each has agreed to drop all legal action and internal complaints procedures regarding the controversial leadership elections which were held on November 18. Both sides had alleged wrongdoing and incorrect counting of votes, though internal investigations led to Copé’s election being confirmed.

The new elections will be held before the parliamentary rentrée in October next year, with campaigning over the summer.

A new body will be created to check everything runs fairly, with equal means allocated by the party to the candidates. This haute autorité will run the election without any input from the party leadership.

The election procedures, including the use of proxy voting and the requirements for parrainages (named supporters) for candidates, will also be reviewed.

A leadership team for the party will be officially installed next month, including Copé supporters Luc Chatel and Michèle Tabarot, as vice-president and general secretary, as well as Fillon supporters Laurent Wauquiez and Valérie Pécresse. Fillon’s breakaway group in parliament – the Rassemblement-UMP - will be reunited with the UMP.

The deal ends a month of turmoil which has been bad for the party’s image and which saw former president Nicolas Sarkozy return to the French political scene from his speaking engagements, advising behind the scenes in a would-be peacemaking role.

Previous articles:
November 27
STORY: Fillon sets up breakaway group
November 26
STORY: Sarkozy intervenes in UMP leadership

November 22
STORY: Overseas votes upset UMP result

November 19
STORY: Leadership chaos for UMP vote

November 19
STORY: Copé wins UMP leadership