Liberalism and radicalism in France

This article gives an overview of liberalism and radicalism in France. It is limited to liberal and radical parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament. The sign ⇒ means a reference to another party in that scheme. For inclusion in this scheme it isn't necessary so that parties labeled themselves as a liberal party.

Introduction

The early high points of liberalism in France were:

• the period from approximately 1790 to 1792 when the politics of the liberal Girondists and Feuillants dominated the early portion of the French Revolution.
• the Revolution of 1848.

In France, as in much of Southern Europe, the word liberal was used either to refer to the traditional liberal anti-clericalism or to economic liberalism. Political liberalism in France was long associated more with the Radical Party, leading to the use of the term radicals to refer to the political liberal tradition. The French Radicals tend to be more statist than most European liberals, but share the liberal values on other issues, in particular a strong support for individual liberty. However, today, the word is mostly used today to designate minarchists, and more generally political groups such as the former Liberal Democracy (Démocratie Libérale) that advocate free markets and a reduced government role. The word liberal lacks the suggestion of general support for individual rights that it carries in Northern Europe. The phrase ultra-libéral is used by many in the left to call whom they feel hold extremist views with respect to the need for much reduced state intervention and regulation of markets and workforce issues. The original liberal current in France disappeared and market liberalism is now represented in the conservative Union for a Popular Movement. The originally left of center radical liberal party split up in the right of center liberal Radical Party (Parti Radical) and the left of center social liberal Left Radical Party (Parti Radical de Gauche).

The timeline

From Democrats or Liberals to Social and Democratic Republican Party

• 1818: Former Feuillants formed the party of the Democrats (Démocrats), also named Liberals (Libéraux)
• 1848: A radical faction organised as the ⇒ Radicals
• 1879: The Democrats are reorganised as the Republicans (Républicains)
• 1901: The party disappeared, a left wing continued as the moderate liberal Democratic Republican Alliance (Alliance Républicaine Démocratique)
• 1911: The party is renamed Democratic Republican Party (Parti Républican Démocratique), further renamed in 1920 into Social and Democratic Republican Party (Parti Républicain Démocratique et Social)
• 1954: The party merged into the conservative National Centre of Independents and Peasants

From Radicals to Parti Radical

• 1848: A radical faction of the ⇒ Democrats formed the Radicals (Radicaux)
• 1901: The Radicals organised themselves in the Radical Party (Parti Radical), officially also named Radical Socialist and Radical Republican Party (Parti Républicain Radical et Radical-Socialiste)
• 1956: Dissidents formed the ⇒ Republican Center and the ⇒ Rally of Left Republicans
• 1972: A left-wing faction formed the ⇒ Movement of Left Radicals
• 1978: The party became an affiliated member of the centre right Union for French Democracy (Union pour la Démocratie Française)
• 2000s: The party became an affiliated member of the conservative Union for a Popular Movement (Union pour un Mouvement Populaire)

Rally of Left Republicans

• 1956: Dissidents from the ⇒ Radical Party formed the Rally of Left Republicans (Rassemblement des Gauchs Républicains)
• 1959: The party merged into the Gaullist Union for the New Republic (Union pour la Nouvelle République)

Republican Center

• 1956: Dissidents from the ⇒ Radical Party formed the Republican Center (Centre Républicain)
• 1974: A faction returned to the ⇒ Radical Party
• 1978: The party disappeared

From Movement of Left Radicals to Left Radical Party

• 1972: A left-wing faction of the ⇒ Radical Party formed the Movement of Left Radicals (Mouvement des Radicaux de Gauche)
• 1996: The group Reunite (Réunir) merged into the party, that is renamed Radical (Radical) and after a court order Radical Socialist Party (Parti Radical-Socialiste)
• 1998: After another court order the party is renamed Left Radical Party (Parti Radical de Gauche)

Liberal and radical leaders

• 19th century: Marie-Joseph Marquis de Lafayette – Benjamin Constant de Rebecque – François Guizot – Adolphe Thiers – Jules Grévy
• Parti Radical: Léon Gambetta – Georges Clemenceau – Edouard Daladier – Edouard Herriot – Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber
• Simone Veil

Liberal thinkers

In the Contributions to liberal theory the following French thinkers are included:

• Voltaire (1694–1778)
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778)
• Denis Diderot (1713–1784)
• Charles de Montesquieu (1689–1755)
• Marquis de Condorcet (1743–1794)
• Benjamin Constant (1767–1830)
• Frédéric Bastiat (1801–1850)
• Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859)
• Émile Durkheim (1858–1917)
• Raymond Aron (1905–1983)

References

p.m.

See also

• History of France
• Politics of France
• List of political parties in France