Conclusion

Abstract

The defeat of Les Républicains in the 2017 presidential and parliamentary elections was the result of the party’s failure to adapt to the realignment of the French party system, no longer structured according to a Left/Right divide, but according to the issues of identity, liberal economic policy and Europe. These provoked divisions within between members of the Centre Right, and the position adopted by the party’s presidential candidate, François Fillon, also alienated voters from outside, whose support would have been necessary to regain the presidency. Once elected president, Macron’s policies of liberalising the French economy, promoting socially liberal values and arguing for a more integrated Europe have proved popular among sections of the traditional Centre Right electorate, and threaten the continued existence of Les Républicains.