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| Sarkozy renames French opposition The Republicans | Sarkozy renames French opposition The Republicans |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has changed his party's name from Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) to The Republicans. | Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has changed his party's name from Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) to The Republicans. |
| Members of France's main opposition party voted to support the rebranding on Friday, with 83% of members approving the move. | Members of France's main opposition party voted to support the rebranding on Friday, with 83% of members approving the move. |
| The move has sparked widespread debate in France, with critics arguing that all French people are Republicans. | The move has sparked widespread debate in France, with critics arguing that all French people are Republicans. |
| Mr Sarkozy is widely expected to try for the presidency again in 2017. | |
| According to one opinion poll, almost 70% of the public - and 40% of UMP supporters - said that no political party had the right to use the Republican label. | According to one opinion poll, almost 70% of the public - and 40% of UMP supporters - said that no political party had the right to use the Republican label. |
| In an editorial in Le Monde (in French), a group of three writers and politicians said: "For Nicolas Sarkozy to name his party in such a way that pretends to represent all Republicans, as though there is no-one else apart from him, is insulting and irresponsible." | In an editorial in Le Monde (in French), a group of three writers and politicians said: "For Nicolas Sarkozy to name his party in such a way that pretends to represent all Republicans, as though there is no-one else apart from him, is insulting and irresponsible." |
| Left-wing sympathisers had challenged the plan in court, arguing that - thanks to the French Revolution - every citizen of France is a Republican, not just those who vote for Mr Sarkozy, the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Paris reports. | Left-wing sympathisers had challenged the plan in court, arguing that - thanks to the French Revolution - every citizen of France is a Republican, not just those who vote for Mr Sarkozy, the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Paris reports. |
| However, the court rejected their call for a ban. | However, the court rejected their call for a ban. |
| Mr Sarkozy says that the rebranding was a "rallying call to all who are distressed to see the Republic decline day after day and who want to stop this decline". | Mr Sarkozy says that the rebranding was a "rallying call to all who are distressed to see the Republic decline day after day and who want to stop this decline". |
| The former French president is expected to try for the presidency again in 2017, having lost to Francois Hollande in 2012. | The former French president is expected to try for the presidency again in 2017, having lost to Francois Hollande in 2012. |