On 12 February 2009, European Voice (now part of Politico Europe) reported that Mouvement pour la France, the party of Philippe de Villiers and Paul-Marie Couteaux, would rename itself to Libertas for the 2009 elections.
Ganley held a press conference on 11 March 2009[2][3] in which members of MPF[2] and CPNT[2] announced their intentions to stand under Libertas lists in French constituencies in the 2009 European Parliament elections.
[3] The affiliation of MPF to Libertas was not unanimously supported: 32 federation presidents signed a motion of no confidence against Philippe de Villiers.
[3] Paul-Marie Coûteaux, the existing MPF MEP for Île-de-France[3] who had been dropped as head of the list in favor of Jérôme Rivière,[3] also voiced his disapproval.
[3] On 12 March 2009,[5] Philippe de Villiers and Frédéric Nihous gave a joint statement.