However the major centrist party, the Union for French Democracy (UDF), began to lose importance after UDF leader Valéry Giscard was defeated by François Mitterrand in the 1981 presidential election and as the Gaullist Rally for the Republic (RPR) become more pro-European during the 1980s and 1990s.
The decline of the Union for French Democracy (UDF), a major centrist party, was hastened by Valéry Giscard's defeat in the 1981 presidential election. The Gaullist Rally for the Republic (RPR) also underwent significant changes, becoming more pro-European during the 1980s and 1990s.