It is part of the center-right Union for Monaco.

When that effort was defeated by the center-right Union for a Popular Movement, which holds a majority in Parliament, Socialist and Communist senators walked out.

A member of the center-right Union for a Popular Movement, he was a Senator for the Yvelines département from 1986 to 2004 and has been again since 2007.

Most of those are also quite likely to go to the coalition formed by the neo-Gaullist Rally for the Republic and the center-right Union for French Democracy.

And as the leader of the governing center-right Union for a Popular Movement Party, he has the power of the party machinery behind him.

Even politicians from Mr. Chirac's center-right Union for a Popular Movement were reserved in their comments.

Ms. Fontaine belongs to the center-right Union for French Democracy and to the Christian Democratic Group in Parliament, where she has been a member since 1984.

This led all other parties including the center-right Union for a Popular Movement to support the list led by the independent left-wing candidate, Daniel Duquenne in the second round runoff.

The neo-Gaullist Rally for the Republic and the center-right Union for French Democracy were expected to win 84 cities, compared with 88 in 1983.

The job of Defense Minister went to Francois Leotard, who is 50 years old and heads a faction of the center-right Union for French Democracy.