2 ▁president ial ▁election ▁and ▁the ▁party ' s ▁defeat ▁in ▁the ▁subsequent ▁legisl ative ▁election . ▁The ▁disput ed ▁results ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁first ▁open ▁crisis ▁in ▁the ▁U MP ▁since ▁its ▁creation ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁ ▁Inc umb ent ▁General ▁Secretary ▁Jean - Fran çois ▁Cop é ▁defeated ▁former ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁François ▁F illon . ▁ ▁Organ ization ▁While ▁the ▁U MP ' s ▁two ▁previous ▁con gress es ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁had ▁been ▁held ▁at ▁the ▁Bour get , ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁physical ▁con gress ▁organized ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁and ▁the ▁con gress ▁was ▁decent ral ized ▁in ▁each ▁department al ▁feder ation ▁of ▁the ▁U MP . ▁ ▁Pres iden cy ▁of ▁the ▁U MP ▁Nicolas ▁S ark o zy ▁was ▁the ▁U MP ' s ▁last ▁president , ▁between ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁Following ▁his ▁election ▁to ▁the ▁presiden cy ▁of ▁France ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁the ▁U MP ▁modified ▁its ▁stat utes ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁colleg ial ▁presiden cy ▁led ▁by ▁a ▁secretary - general ▁during ▁the ▁duration ▁of ▁his ▁term ▁in ▁office . ▁His ▁defeat ▁meant ▁that ▁the ▁U MP ▁needed ▁to ▁hold ▁a ▁new ▁president ial ▁election . ▁ ▁C andid ates ▁seeking ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁the ▁party ▁presiden cy ▁needed ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁end ors ements ▁of ▁at ▁least ▁ 3 % ▁of ▁party ▁members ▁( as