After former French president Nicolas Sarkozy suggested re-naming the country’s conservative UMP party to become the Republican Party, it now seems he is to get his way.<br /><br /> The UMP’s Central bureau voted for the name change on Tuesday and average party members are expected to follow suit at the end of May.<br /><br /> The official title will be “Les Republicains”, a reference to France’s Fifth Republic founded 57 years ago.<br /><br /> Many see Sarkozy’s initiative as a calculated bid to consolidate his own political comeback.
