La République en marche (LREM), President Emmanuel Macron's party, officially changed its name on Saturday to 'Renaissance'.
"We need today and tomorrow to continue the formidable political adventure of overcoming started in 2016," Macron told party militants gathered at the Louvre in Paris to mark the shift.
"We have been able to reconcile so many women and men who until then did not work together, and it is united and gathered together that we are going to open a new chapter in the political life of our country…If the progressive forces do not move forward together, they will lose together."
New rules to the party
Following two days of votes over new party rules, it is now a merger between the President's party, Territoires de progrès, and Agir. Likeminded parties, MoDem and Horizon, opted to remain separate while bolstering the president's party.
Renaissance was created Renew Europe Group President Stephane Séjourné from the European Parliament. Renaissance is likely to firstly consider its successes and failures from recent elections, with a view to strategising for the European Parliamentary elections in 2021, according to the newsletter The French Dispatch.
Related News
- Friend or foe? Liz Truss slammed for 'jury is out' comment on Emmanuel Macron
- French MEPs demand action as UK pours raw sewage in the sea
- 'End of abundance': Macron warns France of harsh winter to come
In the long term, the party will need to define what Macronism means as well as finding a candidate to replace Macron in the 2027 presidential election.
Macron's movement was created a year before he came to power in 2017 and also served his re-election in 2022. However, Macron cannot stay in office for a third term so the party needs to reinvent itself. The question is whether it can continue without its founder eventually.
