National Renewal

National Renewal (Spanish: Renovación Nacional, RN) is a Chilean conservative-liberal political party founded on April 29, 1987,23 as a result of the merger of three right-wing groups organized in the 1980s: the National Union Movement (MUN), the Independent Democratic Union (UDI) and the National Labor Front (FNT). They were also joined by former militants of the National Party (PN). In 1988, after internal strategic and leadership disputes, the members of the UDI resigned from the party and decided to form their party.

Between 1990 and 2010, he was in opposition to the governments of the Concertación de Partidos por la Democracia. From March 2010 to March 2014, within the Coalition for Change (later called Coalición y Alianza), he was part of Sebastián Piñera's first government. Between March 2014 and March 2018, he was part of the opposition to Michelle Bachelet's government. Between March 2018 and March 2022, he was part of the right-wing coalition that supported President Piñera's second government, called Chile Vamos; together with the Independent Democratic Union (UDI), Political Evolution (Evópoli) and the Independent Democratic Regionalist Party (PRI). Since March 2022, he has been part of the opposition to Gabriel Boric's government.

 History 

 Foundation and plebiscite of 1988 
On January 9, 1987, the National Union Movement (MUN) issued a statement entitled "The Imperative of National Unity," in which it called on the National Labor Front (FNT), the Independent Democratic Union (UDI), and the National Party (PN)—all supporters of the military dictatorship to a greater or lesser extent—to merge into a single party. The new party was officially launched on February 5 at the Hotel Carrera in Santiago under the name of the National Renewal Party (Parena). Ricardo Rivadeneira—who did not belong to any of the founding groups of RN—assumed the presidency of the party, still in formation. Its vice-presidencies were occupied by Andrés Allamand (MUN), Juan de Dios Carmona (FNT), and Jaime Guzmán (UDI).

The political party was officially established under the name of National Renewal on April 29 of the same year, with 351 founding members from the MUN, the UDI, the FNT—within which the Social Democracy Party and the Christian Social Movement had been incorporated—and former members and supporters of the National Party, Radical Democracy, and the Christian Democratic Party who collaborated with the military dictatorship.

The new formation had 48,596 membership cards in December of the same year, being legally recognized by the Electoral Service on January 28, 1988, and registered in the Registry of Political Parties on February 8.27 In December 1987, elections were held for a new board of directors. Sergio Onofre Jarpa was the winner, supported by the former MUN and FNT, but not by the former UDI.

In March 1988, internal elections were due to be held within the party. However, Jaime Guzmán denounced irregularities in the election of the board of directors, which led to his expulsion from the party. As a result, Guzmán's supporters decided to withdraw from RN and re-found the original trade union movement as the UDI for Yes. It should be noted that the UDI members who joined RN always sought to preserve their own identity and, unlike the followers of Allamand and Jarpa, were unconditional supporters – and not critical – of Pinochet and the government leadership.

 Structure 
Regarding the party organization, it can be mentioned that the general council is the highest authority of the party. Its more than 450 members are elected by the militants of the 16 regions of the country. It is made up of the board and all the representatives of the party in Congress and is renewed every two years.

Below the general council is the political commission, made up of fifteen non-parliamentary members, elected by secret vote in the general council. This party structure is responsible for, among other duties:

Determining and permanently resolving the political action of the party, adhering to the agreements of the general council

Setting the guidelines for the legislative management that the parliamentarians are responsible for developing

Emblem of the Youth of National Renewal.

The national board —made up of a national president, general secretary, and eight vice presidents— is responsible for, among other things:

Leading the party following its principles, statutes, programs, and the guidelines, resolutions, and agreements of the general council

Proposing the party program to the general council; issuing the internal regulations necessary for the proper organization, operation, and financing of the party.

Proposing to the general council modifications to the declarations of principles, name of the party, party programs, statutes, and internal regulations, as well as alliances, electoral pacts, merger with another party or parties, and their dissolution.

 Presidents 
Renovación Nacional has had thirteen presidents in its history:
NamePortraitStartEndGovernmentRicardo Rivadeneira MonrealApril 29, 1987December 11, 1987Military dictatorshipSergio Onofre Jarpa Reyes100x100pxDecember 11, 1987August 5, 1990Andrés Allamand Zavala100x100pxAugust 5, 1990June 25, 1997AylwinFrei Ruiz-TagleAlberto Espina Otero100x100pxJune 25, 1997June 22, 1999Alberto Cardemil Herrera100x100pxJune 22, 1999May 26, 2001LagosSebastian Piñera Echenique100x100pxMay 26, 2001March 10, 2004Sergio Diez Urzúa94x94pxMarch 10, 2004May 27, 2006Carlos Larraín Peña88x88pxMay 27, 2006June 21, 2014Bachelet IPiñera ICristián Monckeberg Bruner100x100pxJune 21, 2014March 10, 2018Bachelet IIMario Desbordes Jiménez100x100pxMarch 10, 2018July 28, 2020Piñera IIRafael Prohens Espinosa (interim)100x100pxJuly 28, 2020June 20, 2021Francisco Chahuán Chahuán100x100pxJune 20, 2021October 7, 2023BoricRodrigo Galilea Vial112x112pxOctober 7, 2023In office

 Current Board 
+NamePhotoPositionNotesRodrigo GalileaPresidentSenator of the RepublicAndrea BalladaresGeneral SecretaryFormer Undersecretary of Social ServicesJosé García RuminotFirst Vice PresidentSenator of the Republic and President of the SenateRicardo KuschelVice PresidentGiannina GonzálezVice PresidentXimena OssandónVice PresidentDeputy of the RepublicPedro PizarroVice PresidentRuggero CozziVice PresidentFormer constitutional convention memberMario MezaVice President

 References 

Category:Political parties in Chile
Category:1987 establishments
Category:1980s establishments in South America