▁ 1 9 4 7 - J uly ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁August – Se ptember ▁ 1 9 4 8 ) ▁who ▁presented , ▁as ▁Foreign ▁Minister , ▁plans ▁for ▁what ▁would ▁become ▁the ▁European ▁Community . ▁Indeed , ▁European ▁un ification ▁was ▁an ▁important ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁MR P ▁platform . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁major ▁French ▁party ▁to ▁defend ▁the ▁function ing ▁of ▁the ▁colonial ▁system , ▁including ▁forced ▁labour , ▁in ▁the ▁post - war ▁period . ▁ ▁A ▁grad ual ▁decl ine ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Ga ull ist ▁R PF ▁and ▁the ▁reconst ruction ▁of ▁the ▁conserv ative ▁right ▁in ▁the ▁National ▁Center ▁of ▁Independ ents ▁and ▁Pe as ants ▁( C entre ▁national ▁des ▁ind ép end ants ▁et ▁pays ans , ▁C N IP ), ▁the ▁MR P ▁faced ▁challeng ers ▁to ▁represent ▁the ▁right - wing ▁elect or ate . ▁At ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁legisl ative ▁election , ▁it ▁lost ▁half ▁of ▁its ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁vot ers ▁( 1 2 . 6 %). ▁Furthermore , ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁prop ens ity ▁for ▁integr ating ▁conserv ative ▁polit icians ▁sometimes ▁comprom ised ▁by ▁their ▁association ▁with ▁V ich y , ▁it ▁was ▁s ardon ically ▁nick named ▁the ▁" Machine ▁à ▁Ram asser ▁les ▁P ét ain istes " ▁(" Machine ▁for ▁collect ing ▁P ét ain ists "). ▁ ▁The ▁MR P ▁also ▁domin ated ▁French ▁foreign ▁and ▁colonial ▁policies ▁during ▁most ▁of