On April 9, 2008, following the municipal and cantonal elections of 2008, the
President of the Republic,
Nicolas Sarkozy, announced the creation of a liaison committee to strengthen ties within the majority, intensify the level of work between the components and prepare for future elections. This committee would be composed of the main political leaders of the presidential majority:
Patrick Devedjian (Secretary General of the UMP),
Jean-Pierre Raffarin and
Jean-Claude Gaudin (vice-chairmen of the National Council of the UMP),
Bernard Accoyer (President of the National Assembly),
Christian Poncelet (President of the Senate),
Henri de Raincourt (President of the UMP group in the Senate),
Xavier Bertrand (Deputy Secretary General of the UMP),
Christine Boutin (President of the
Christian Democratic Party),
Michèle Alliot-Marie (president of
Le Chêne club),
Jean-Louis Borloo (president of the
Radical Party),
Hervé Morin (President of
New Centre),
François Sauvadet (President of the NC group in the National Assembly),
Michel Mercier (ex-chairman of the
UC-UDF Group in the Senate),
Jean-Marie Cavada (President of the
ACDE),
Jean-Marie Bockel (Chairman of the
Modern Left) and
Eric Besson (President of
The Progressives). Without significant business since its inception, the committee became formally structured as a result of the
2009 European elections during which the lists of the presidential majority came first. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister
François Fillon on June 30, 2009, on the occasion of the inauguration of its offices. ==Party members==