List of political parties in France
France has a multi-party political system: one in which the number of competing political parties is sufficiently large as to make it almost inevitable that in order to participate in the exercise of power any single party must be prepared to negotiate with one or more others with a view to forming electoral alliances and/or coalition agreements.
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The dominant French political parties are also characterised by a noticeable degree of intra-party factionalism, making each of them effectively a coalition in itself.
Up until recently, the government of France had alternated between two rather stable coalitions:
- on the centre-left, one led by the Socialist Party and with minor partners such as The Greens and the Radical Party of the Left.
- on the centre-right, one led by The Republicans (and previously its predecessors, the Union for a Popular Movement, Rally for the Republic) and the Union of Democrats and Independents.
This was the case until the 2017 presidential election, when Emmanuel Macron of liberal La République En Marche! defeated Marine Le Pen of right-wing National Rally in the second round. This was the first time in which a third party had won the presidency, as well as the first time that neither of the major coalitions had appeared in the second round of a presidential election. This was followed shortly by a significant victory for LREM in the 2017 legislative election, winning a majority of 350 seats. Both the traditional coalitions suffered major defeats.
National Rally (previously known as the National Front before a name change in 2018) has also experienced significant successes in other elections. Since 2014, the party has established itself as the third sizable party, finishing in first place in the 2014 and 2019 European elections as well as in the 2015 local elections[1], though the party failed to win government in any regions due to the last-ditch alliance between the centre-left and the centre-right coalitions in Hauts-de-France and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.[2] Many political observers now describe a new "tripartisme" (English: tripartism) in the French political landscape.[3][4][5]
Elected parties
Major nationwide represented parties
Acronym and Name | National coalition | Leader or Chairman | People's Representatives | Political Position | Ideology |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
REM: La République En Marche! | None | Stanislas Guerini |
National Assembly: 303 / 577 Senate: 21 / 348 European Parliament: 11 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Centre | Liberalism, economic liberalism, pro-Europeanism, big tent |
LR: The Republicans (See also, UMP & RPR.) | None | Christian Jacob | National Assembly: 97 / 577 Senate: 142 / 348 European Parliament: 7 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 7 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 44 / 101 |
Centre-right | The Strong Right: Sarkozysm, social conservatism, Christian democracy
|
PS: Socialist Party | New Left | Olivier Faure | National Assembly: 25 / 577 Senate: 86 / 348 European Parliament: 2 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 5 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 27 / 101 |
Centre-left | Mobilise the French People for a Successful Change: Social democracy, social liberalism, pro-Europeanism
|
Other nationwide represented parties
Acronym and Name | National coalition | Leader or Chairman | People's Representatives | Political Position | Ideology | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MoDem: Democratic Movement | None | François Bayrou | National Assembly: 39 / 577 Senate: 6 / 348 European Parliament: 5 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 1 / 101 |
Centre to Centre-right | Centrism, Liberalism, Social liberalism, Christian democracy | |
FI: La France Insoumise | None | Jean-Luc Mélenchon | National Assembly: 17 / 577 Senate: 0 / 348 European Parliament: 5 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Left-wing to far-left | Democratic socialism, Eco-socialism, Left-wing populism, Environmentalism, Alter-globalisation, Soft Euroscepticism | |
Ecology Democracy Solidarity | None | Paula Forteza Matthieu Orphelin | National Assembly: 17 / 577 Senate: 0 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Centre-Left | Environmentalism | |
PCF: French Communist Party | Left Front | Pierre Laurent | National Assembly: 10 / 577 Senate: 18 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 1 / 101 |
Left-wing (since 1977, far-left previously) | Communism, Soft Euroscepticism | |
RN: National Rally including Comités Jeanne | Rassemblement bleu Marine | Marine Le Pen | National Assembly: 6 / 577 Senate: 2 / 348 European Parliament: 20 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Right-wing to Far-right | French nationalism, National conservatism, Souverainism, Protectionism, Right-wing populism, Anti-immigration, Hard Euroscepticism | |
MR: Radical Movement | None | Laurent Hénart Sylvia Pinel | National Assembly: 10 / 577 Senate: 19 / 348 European Parliament: 1 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Centre | Liberalism, Social liberalism, Pro-Europeanism | |
LC: The Centrists | Union of Democrats and Independents | Hervé Morin | National Assembly: 5 / 577 Senate: 9 / 348 European Parliament: 1 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Centre to Centre-right | Centrism, Conservative liberalism, Christian democracy | |
FED: Democratic European Force | Union of Democrats and Independents | Jean-Christophe Lagarde | National Assembly: 2 / 577 Senate: 4 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Centre-right | Centrism, Social liberalism, Pro-Europeanism, Christian democracy | |
LGM: Modern Left | Union of Democrats and Independents | Jean-Marie Bockel | National Assembly: 0 / 577 Senate: 1 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Centre | Social liberalism | |
MdP: Movement of Progressives | None | Robert Hue | National Assembly: 1 / 577 Senate: 1 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Left-wing | Democratic socialism | |
DLF: Debout la France | None | Nicolas Dupont-Aignan | National Assembly: 1 / 577 Senate: 0 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Right-wing | French nationalism, National conservatism, Gaullism, Republicanism, Souverainism, Social conservatism, Euroscepticism | |
AC: Centrist Alliance | None | Jean Arthuis | National Assembly: 2 / 577 Senate: 9 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Centre | Liberalism, Pro-Europeanism, Centrism | |
MRC: Citizen and Republican Movement | None | Jean-Luc Laurent | National Assembly: 1 / 577 Senate: 0 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Left-wing | Republicanism, Souverainism, Democratic socialism, Euroscepticism, Protectionism | |
LRC-Cap21: Citizenship, Action, Participation for the 21st Century | None | Corinne Lepage | National Assembly: 4 / 577 Senate: 0 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Centre to Centre-left | Environmentalism, Green liberalism, Direct democracy, Humanism, Eurorealism | |
EELV: Europe Ecology – The Greens | None | David Cormand | National Assembly: 1 / 577 Senate: 10 / 348 European Parliament: 9 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Centre-left | Green politics | |
PG: Left Party | Left Front | Eric Coquerel and Danielle Simonnet | National Assembly: 8 / 577 Senate: 0 / 348 European Parliament: 5 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Left-wing | Democratic socialism, Left-wing populism, Environmentalism, Alter-globalisation, Soft Euroscepticism | |
Génération.S | None | Benoît Hamon | National Assembly: 0 / 577 Senate: 0 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 1 / 101 |
Centre-left | ||
Ensemble! | None | None | National Assembly: 2 / 577 Senate: 0 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Left-wing | Socialism, Eco-socialism, Anti-globalisation | |
PE: Ecologist Party | None | François de Rugy | National Assembly: 3 / 577 Senate: 1 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Green politics, Green liberalism, Environmentalism, Social-liberalism, European federalism | ||
Resistons! | None | Jean Lassalle | National Assembly: 1 / 577 Senate: 0 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Centre | Ruralism, Humanism, Localism, Sovereignty | |
Agir | UDI, Agir and Independents group | National Assembly: 9 / 577 Senate: 6 / 348 European Parliament: 1 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Centre to Centre-right | Liberalism, Social liberalism, Progressivism, Christian democracy | ||
Comités Jeanne | None | Jean-Marie Le Pen | National Assembly: 0 / 577 Senate: 0 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Far-right | Nationalism | |
LFD13: La Force du 13 | None | Jean-Noël Guérini | National Assembly: 0 / 577 Senate: 2 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Left | Social democracy | |
GC: Génération citoyens | Jean-Marie Cavada | National Assembly: 0 / 577 Senate:
1 / 348
European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Centre to Right-wing | Social liberalism | ||
Démocratie et République | National Assembly: 0 / 577 Senate:
1 / 348
European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
|||||
Initiative démocratique de gauche | National Assembly: 1 / 577 Senate:
0 / 348
European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Social democracy | ||||
LS: Ligue du Sud | Rassemblement bleu Marine | Jacques Bompard | National Assembly: 1 / 577 Senate: 0 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Far-right | National conservatism, Souverainism, Identitarian movement, Anti-globalization movement,
Regionalism, Patriotism, Localism, Poujadism, Liberal conservatism | |
LP: The Patriots | Florian Philippot | National Assembly: 1 / 577 Senate: 2 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Far-right |
Euroscepticism, Souverainism, Gaullism, Populism, Statism, Animal rights | ||
GRS: Gauche républicaine et socialiste | Emmanuel Maurel, Marie-Noëlle Lienemann | National Assembly: 1 / 577 Senate: 1 / 348 European Parliament: 1 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Left-wing politics |
Socialism, Euroscepticism, Economic Interventionism, Statism, | ||
RDG: Les Radicaux de gauche | Virginie Rozière, Stéphane Saint-André | National Assembly: 0 / 577 Senate: 0 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Left to Centre-left |
Pro-Europeanism, Environmentalism, Solidarism, Secularism | ||
MLM: Mouvement libéral et modéré | Philippe Adnot | National Assembly: 0 / 577 Senate: 1 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
||||
Pè a Corsica | Libertés and Territories Group | Gilles Simeoni | National Assembly: 3 / 577 Senate: 0 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Autonomism, Regionalism, Corsican Nationalism, Independentism | ||
Picardie debout | La France Insoumise group | François Ruffin | National Assembly: 1 / 577
Senate: 0 / 348 European Parliament: 0 / 74 Presidency of Regional Councils: 0 / 17 Presidency of Departmental Councils: 0 / 101 |
Radical left, Anti-capitalism, Protectionism, left-wing Souverainism, left-wing populism, Participatory democracy, Eco-socialism |
Region only parties
Acronym and Name | National coalition | Leader or Chairman | Territorial councillors | Ideology |
---|---|---|---|---|
CPNT: Hunt, Fish, Nature, Traditions | None | Frédéric Nihous | Regional: 6 / 1,880 | Traditional rural values; refusal of environmental legislation and regulations restricting the right to hunt and fish, conservative, Eurosceptic |
MEI: Independent Ecological Movement | None | Antoine Waechter | Regional: 3 / 1,880 | Green politics, Centrism, anti-nuclear |
NPA: New Anticapitalist Party | None | Christine Poupin | Regional: 2 / 1,880 | Anti-capitalism, democratic socialism, eco-socialism, alter-globalisation |
GU: Unitarian | Left Front | Christian Picquet | Regional: 7 / 1,880 | Anti-capitalism, democratic socialism |
Non-elected parties
Acronym and Name | National coalition | Leader or Chairman | Political Position |
---|---|---|---|
AF: French Action | None | Stéphane Blanchonnet | Monarchism, nationalism, conservatism, Euroscepticism, far-right |
UPR: Popular Republican Union | None | François Asselineau | French nationalism, Hard Euroscepticism |
AR: Royal Alliance | None | Pierre Bernard | Monarchism (Orléanism), conservatism, Euroscepticism |
NAR: New Royalist Action | None | Bertrand Renouvin | Monarchism, conservatism, Euroscepticism, gaulism |
RD: Democratic Rally | None | Philippe Cartellier | Monarchism, conservatism, gaulism, Capetism |
GE: Ecology Generation | None | Yves Piétrasanta | Green politics, green conservatism, centre-right |
GR: Revolutionary Left | None | Collective | Marxism, socialism, Trotskyism |
PCOF: Workers' Communist Party of France | Left Front | Collective | Communism, Marxism–Leninism, hoxhaism, anti-revisionism |
POI: Independent Workers' Party | None | Daniel Gluckstein, Claude Jenet, Jean Markun, Gérard Schivardi | Communism, trotskyism, Marxism, proletarian internationalism |
PRCF: Pole of Communist Rebirth in France | None | Léon Landini | Communism, Marxism-Leninism, anti-capitalism, nationalism |
OCML-VP: Marxist–Leninist Communist Organization – Proletarian Way | None | Collective | Communism, Marxism-Leninism-Maoism |
PP: Pirate Party | None | Maxime Rouquet, Guillaume Lecoquierre | Intellectual property reform, protection of privacy and individual liberty |
LO: Workers' Struggle | None | Nathalie Arthaud, spokeswoman | Trotskyism, internationalism, feminism |
PLD: Liberal Democratic Party | None | Aurélien Véron | Classical liberalism |
FA: Anarchist Federation | None | Collective | Anarchist Synthesist, anarchism without adjectives |
AL: Alternative Libertaire | None | Collective | Anarchist Communism |
PL: Libertarian Party | None | Guilhem d'Urbal | Libertarianism |
French Revolution
- Jacobin Club
- Girondist - Centre-right
- Maraisards - Centre
- Montagnards - left-wing
- Cordeliers Club - Left-wing to far-left
- Feuillants Club
- Enragés - Far-left
- Monarchiens - Centre to Centre-right
- Club de Clichy - Right-wing
Historical parties
- Red Republicans
- Socialist Party of France (1902)
- French Socialist Party (1902)
- French Socialist Party (1919)
- Socialist Party of France – Jean Jaurès Union
- Radical Party (France) (PRV; PR; Rad; 1901–2017) also known as, Radical-Socialist and Radical Republican Party
- French Section of the Workers International
- Democratic Republican Alliance
- French Agrarian and Farmer Party (PAPF; 1927–1939) right
- Agrarian and Social Republican Party (PRAS; 1936–1940)
- Farmers' Social Union Party (1945–1951) right, extreme-right
Political parties in French overseas possessions
- List of political parties in French Guiana
- List of political parties in French Polynesia
- List of political parties in Guadeloupe
- List of political parties in Martinique
- List of political parties in Mayotte
- List of political parties in New Caledonia
- List of political parties in Reunion
- List of political parties in Saint Barthélemy
- List of political parties in the Collectivity of Saint Martin
- List of political parties in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
- List of political parties in Wallis and Futuna
Historical parties
See also
- Liberalism and radicalism in France
- List of political parties
References
- "Elections régionales : le FN vainqueur du premier tour". Le Monde.fr.
- "Régionales : le PS se retire en PACA et dans le Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie". 6 December 2015.
- "Le tripartisme s'installe en France". Le Monde.fr.
- "Le tripartisme, et après ?".
- "Départementales : et maintenant le tripartisme". 28 March 2015.