The creation of the PDP has its premises in the context of the immediatepost-war, the reintegration of Catholics in the nation by the wartime Union sacrée and the involvement of Catholics in power during the National Bloc. From the National Bloc, fourteen deputies founded the core of the PDP prior to the 1924 legislative election. Established by Congress on 15 and 16 November 1924, under the chairmanship of George Thibout and involving 200 delegates, the PDP supported the desire to achieve "a task in bringing reconciliation around the idea of Republicanism" by the definition of "new Republican faith" The Popular Democrats advocated that religion was not and should not be a line between right and left. However, the PDP oriented itself to the centre-right in direct competition to the Republican Federation, the party from which most of the PDP's members came from and where social Catholics concentrated since the demise of the ALP.
1932 - 1940
Faced to the governing left-wing Cartel des Gauches, the PDP ranked itself in the parliamentary opposition but stayed outside of the National Catholic Federation, founded by General Édouard de Castelnau as a reaction to the perceived anti-clerical legislation passed by Édouard Herriot's cabinet. The PDP supported the ministries of Raymond Poincaré, seduced by his stabilizing of the economic situation, but hostile to the lack of social legislation. In addition, the PDP developed the popular theme of "party of the centre" or "Cartel of the Centres", which explained their support for the Ministry led André Tardieu. Despite its position, the PDP had little weight in the different governments formed between 1926 and 1932. Only Auguste Champetier de Ribes participated in various governments between 1928 and 1930. However, the PDP acquired increasing visibility both on the ground locally and by increasing its number of elected officials at all levels. Faced with the growing threat from the Popular Democrats, the Republican Federation virulently opposed the PDP via the popular voice of Henry Kérillis who alleged that the PDP divided the "national right". Only Georges Pernot advocated collaboration between his party and the PDP. The PDP was moved to the right by the Stavisky Affair and during the 6 February 1934 crisis where the party supported the parliamentary right's arguments. In its later years, the PDP divided into broad left-wing and right-wing factions.
If the majority of the parliamentary party voted full powers to Marshal Philippe Pétain on 10 July 1940, the PDP, however, provided the largest contingent of opponents against full powers within the right. While a number of Popular Democrats collaborated with the Vichy Regime, others, such as Georges Bidault joined the resistance. Following the war, a large majority of Popular Democrats joined the Christian democratic Popular Republican Movement, which had its roots in the resistance movement. Some members also joined the Rally of Republican Lefts.
Ideology
The PDP was attached to the Republic and to political liberties. In this sense, the PDP adhered to the Christian democratic idea that one can be Republican and Catholic. However, the PDP opposed French laïcité and defended the liberty of confessional education.
The PDP opposed both economic liberalism and socialism, and aimed to achieve democracy in the economic and social organization by the gradual reform and collaboration between the various elements of production. Advocating state intervention in the economy, the PDP wanted to achieve social justice through the application of a Catholic social program.
