Are the French heading for a one-party system?

An article at the blog of Yves Daoudal, dated February 4, announced an attempt by Sarkozy to form a "confederation" that would include his own UMP party, the New Center party (it acquired its name when the centrist UDF party split into the MoDem and the New Center, following the presidential election) and the pro-Sarkozy Left.

A new left-wing party associated with UMP would thus be formed from the fusion of two smaller leftist parties: the Modern Left and the Progressives, the former headed by Jean-Marie Bockel whom Sarkozy appointed secretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the latter headed by Eric Besson appointed to Prime Minister François Fillon's ministry.

Add to that the members of the New Center who, if they want to keep their seat in Parliament, have no choice but to follow Sarkozy in his new confederation, since the New Center only exists thanks to the good will of UMP.

Now it appears that Tony Blair is collaborating in this effort!

According to Le Figaro the amphitheater of the Sorbonne was overflowing on Thursday when the former British Prime Minister arrived, followed soon thereafter by French Prime Minister François Fillon. The event was the "Progressive Path", a discussion organized by Eric Besson on the reorganization of the Left to make it part of the "Right":
 
Tony Blair had already put his stamp of approval on Sarkoy's strategy two weeks ago when he spoke before the national council of the UMP party. At the time, he had let slip that if he were French, he would be "on the Left, but only with those willing to renew it," not naming any names. [...] On Thursday he told the story of how he had come upon opponents, in Great Britain, of his own strategy of "openness": "One day a conservative said to me in an accusing tone: 'I get your game! You want the conservatives to vote for Labor'! And I replied: 'Of course I do!'"
 
The room exploded in laughter.
 
The former Labor leader's humor inspired François Fillon who launched into his own anecdote: "When I arrived at the Sorbonne, I asked myself what the students of May '68 would think if they knew that leftist progressives were organizing in this hall a discussion with a former Labor prime minister and a prime minister descended from the Gaullist party. Which one would be worse, in their eyes?"

But François Fillon must know only too well, that the election of Nicolas Sarkozy to the presidency is the victory of May '68, for now a ruling conservative party is well nigh impossible.

For Fillon, the "binary system, Right against Left, conservatives against progressives" is passé, and has been for a long time. "We must do away with a Left that is dogmatic in its outer appearances, yet sometimes liberal at heart, and a Right that is liberal in its outer appearances yet sometimes conformist at heart."

In other words, the patriotic Right is relegated to a leper colony, while the so-called "conservatives", i.e., the UMP party that claims to be Gaullist in inspiration, meld with the Left. Isn't it just as well? France has no more sovereignty. What would the purpose be of a Gaullist party? What good has it done anyway?