French UMP moves towards 'Republican' name change

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After former French president Nicolas Sarkozy suggested re-naming the country’s conservative UMP party to become the Republican Party, it now seems he is to get his way.

The UMP’s Central bureau voted for the name change on Tuesday and average party members are expected to follow suit at the end of May.

The official title will be “Les Republicains”, a reference to France’s Fifth Republic founded 57 years ago.

Many see Sarkozy’s initiative as a calculated bid to consolidate his own political comeback.