Rally of the French People
In April 1947, de Gaulle made a renewed attempt to transform the political scene by creating a "Rassemblement du Peuple Français" (Rally of the French People, or "RPF"), which he hoped would be able to move above the familiar party squabbles of the parliamentary system. Despite the new party's taking 40 percent of the vote in local elections and 121 seats in 1951, lacking its own press and access to television, its support ebbed away. In May 1953, he withdrew again from active politics, though the "RPF" lingered until September 1955.