The Union of Democrats and Independents – UC (French: Union des Démocrates et Indépendants - UC, UDI-UC) is a centrist parliamentary group in the French Senate that was founded in 1986. In January 2013, the UDI-UC group had 32 Senators.
Upon creation of the UDF in 1978, an intergroup was formed joining members of the Centrist Union of Progressive Democrats (UCDP) and the Independent Republicans (RI) group. The creation of the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) in 2002 led to a split in the UDF between those who stayed in the UDF and those who joined the UMP. The group formed by the remaining UDF Senators took the name Centrist Union.
In May 2009, the group was composed of 29 Senators:
Nicolas About (Yvelines, Democratic Movement (MoDem), President
Jean-Paul Amoudry (Haute-Savoie, New Centre)
Jean Arthuis (Mayenne, Centrist Alliance)
Denis Badré (Hauts-de-Seine, MoDem)
Claude Biwer (Meuse, New Centre), Vice-President
Didier Borotra (Pyrénées-Atlantiques, MoDem)
Jean Boyer (Haute-Loire, New Centre), Vice President
Marcel Deneux (Somme, MoDem)
Yves Détraigne (Marne, Centrist Alliance)
Muguette Dini (Rhône, Centrist Alliance)
Daniel Dubois (Somme, New Centre), Vice President
Jean-Léonce Dupont (Calvados, New Centre), Vice President
Pierre Fauchon (Loir-et-Cher, New Centre)
Françoise Férat (Marne, Centrist Alliance), Vice President
Christian Gaudin (Maine-et-Loire, New Centre)
Adrien Giraud (Mayotte, Centrist Alliance)
Nathalie Goulet (Orne, Independent)
Jacqueline Gourault (Loir-et-Cher, MoDem), Vice President
Jean-Jacques Jégou (Val-de-Marne, MoDem)
Joseph Kergueris (Morbihan, Centrist Alliance)
Hervé Maurey (Calvados, New Centre)
Jean-Claude Merceron (Vendée, Centrist Alliance)
Catherine Morin-Desailly (Seine-Maritime, New Centre)
Anne-Marie Payet (La Réunion, Centrist Alliance)
Jean-Jacques Pignard (Rhône, New Centre)
Yves Pozzo di Borgo (Paris, New Centre)
Daniel Soulage (Lot-et-Garonne, Centrist Alliance), Vice President
Jean-Marie Vanlerenberghe (Pas-de-Calais, MoDem)
François Zocchetto (Mayenne, Centrist Alliance)
7 are members of the MoDem, 11 are members of the New Centre, 10 are members of the Centrist Alliance and one is an Independent. However, the actual numbers can vary based on sources.
Gisèle Gautier (Loire-Atlantique) joined the Union for a Popular Movement on January 8, 2007.
Valérie Létard (Nord, New Centre) was named Secretary of State for Solidarity on June 19, 2007. Béatrice Descamps (UMP) succeeded her.
Maurice Blin (Ardennes) resigned on July 4, 2007. Marc Laménie (UMP) succeeded him.
Philippe Arnaud (Charente, MoDem), Philippe Nogrix (Ille-et-Vilaine, MoDem) were defeated in the 2008 Senate elections.
André Vallet (Bouches-du-Rhône, MoDem) retired before the 2008 Senate elections.
Michel Mercier (Rhône, MoDem), former President of the group, joined the cabinet on June 23, 2009.
1986-1993: Daniel Hoeffel
1993-1998: Maurice Blin
1998-2002: Jean Arthuis
2002: Xavier de Villepin
2002-2009: Michel Mercier
2009-2011: Nicolas About
2011–present: François Zocchetto
1986–2011: Centrist Union (Union Centriste, UC)
From 2011: Centrist and Republican Union (Union Centriste et Républicaine, UCR)
