List of political parties in France
This article contains a 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.
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 the centrist La République En Marche! defeated Marine Le Pen of the far-right 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.
In the 2022 presidential election, the same scenario repeated, with Emmanuel Macron being again victorious. Both traditional parties (Socialist Party and The Republicans) scored less than 5% each, with Jean-Luc Mélenchon's La France Insoumise emerging as the dominant left-wing party, ranking third in the first round.
The 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 a major party in France, 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]
Elected parties
Major nationwide represented parties
Name | Abbr. | Leader | Députés | Senators | MEPs | Presidency of regional councils | Presidency of departmental councils |
Position | Ideology | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Renaissance | RE | Stéphane Séjourné | 153 / 577 |
23 / 348 |
7 / 74 |
2 / 17 |
1 / 101 |
Centre[3] | Liberalism, Pro-Europeanism | |
The Republicans | LR | Eric Ciotti | 58 / 577 |
138 / 348 |
7 / 74 |
7 / 17 |
44 / 101 |
Centre-right | Liberal conservatism, Gaullism | |
National Rally | RN | Jordan Bardella | 88 / 577 |
2 / 348 |
16 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Far-right | Right-wing populism | |
Socialist Party | PS | Olivier Faure | 27 / 577 |
63 / 348 |
2 / 74 |
5 / 17 |
27 / 101 |
Centre-left | Social democracy | |
La France Insoumise | FI | Manuel Bompard | 69 / 577 |
0 / 348 |
3 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Left-wing to far-left | Left-wing populism |
Other nationwide represented parties
Party | Abbr. | National coalition | Leader or chair | Députés | Senators | MEPs | Presidency of regional councils | Presidency of departmental councils | Political position | Ideology | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic Movement | MoDem | Ensemble | François Bayrou | 48 / 577 |
5 / 348 |
5 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
1 / 101 |
Centre to centre-right | Liberalism, social liberalism, Christian democracy | |
Horizons | Ensemble | Édouard Philippe | 29 / 577 |
4 / 348 |
2 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Centre-right | Liberal conservatism | ||
Left Party | PG | NUPES | Eric Coquerel, Danielle Simonnet |
25 / 577 |
0 / 348 |
2 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Left-wing | Democratic socialism, left-wing populism, left-wing nationalism | |
The Ecologists | LÉ | NUPES | Marine Tondelier | 16 / 577 |
7 / 348 |
10 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Centre-left to left-wing | Green politics | |
French Communist Party | PCF | GDR, NUPES | Fabien Roussel | 12 / 577 |
14 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
1 / 101 |
Left-wing to far-left | Communism, soft Euroscepticism | |
Union of Democrats and Independents | UDI | UDC | Jean-Christophe Lagarde | 6 / 577 |
42 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
8 / 101 |
Centre to centre-right | Centrism, social liberalism, pro-Europeanism, Christian democracy | |
Ensemble! | FI group, NUPES | 5 / 577 |
0 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Left-wing | Socialism, eco-socialism, anti-globalisation | |||
Radical Party | RAD | Ensemble, LT | Laurent Hénart, Sylvia Pinel |
4 / 577 |
10 / 348 |
1 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Centre | Liberalism, pro-Europeanism | |
Génération.s | NUPES | Benoît Hamon | 4 / 577 |
1 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
1 / 101 |
Centre-left to left-wing | Social democracy, democratic socialism | ||
En Commun | EC | Ensemble | Philippe Hardouin | 4 / 577 |
0 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Centre-left | Green politics | |
The Centrists | LC | LT, UDC | Hervé Morin | 2 / 577 |
6 / 348 |
1 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Centre to centre-right | Centrism, conservative liberalism, Christian democracy | |
Soyons libres | SL | LR, UDC | Valérie Pécresse | 2 / 577 |
2 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
1 / 17 |
1 / 101 |
Centre-right | Liberal conservatism, Gaullism, economic liberalism, pro-Europeanism | |
Ecology Generation | GE | NUPES | Delphine Batho | 2 / 577 |
0 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Centre | Green politics, integral ecology, eco-feminism | |
Radical Party of the Left | PRG | Guillaume Lacroix | 1 / 577 |
2 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
2 / 101 |
Centre-left | Social liberalism, Pro-Europeanism | ||
Ecological Revolution for the Living | REV | NUPES | Aymeric Caron | 1 / 577 |
0 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Left-wing | Animal rights, Social democracy | |
Ecologist Party | PE | LREM | François de Rugy | 1 / 577 |
1 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Centre-left | Green politics, green liberalism, environmentalism, social-liberalism, European federalism | |
Debout la France | DLF | None | Nicolas Dupont-Aignan | 1 / 577 |
0 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Right-wing to far-right | French nationalism, national conservatism, Gaullism, Republicanism, souverainism, social conservatism, Euroscepticism | |
Independent Workers' Party | FI group, NUPES | 1 / 577 |
0 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Left-wing |
Marxism | |||
Reconquête | R! | None | Éric Zemmour | 0 / 577 |
0 / 348 |
4 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Far-right | National conservatism, Anti-immigration, Gaullism, Soft Euroscepticism | |
Democratic European Force | FED | UDI, UDC | Jean-Christophe Lagarde | 0 / 577 |
4 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Centre-right | Centrism, social liberalism, pro-Europeanism, Christian democracy | |
Centrist Alliance | AC | LaREM | Philippe Folliot | 0 / 577 |
3 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Centre | Centrism, liberalism | |
The Patriots | LP | Florian Philippot | 0 / 577 |
2 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Right-wing to far-right | Euroscepticism, souverainism, Gaullism, populism, statism, animal rights | ||
La Force du 13 | LFD13 | None | Jean-Noël Guérini | 0 / 577 |
2 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Left-wing | Social democracy | |
Mouvement des citoyens | MDC | SOC, FGR[4] | Jean-Marie Alexandre | 0 / 577 |
1 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Left-wing | Social democracy, souverainism | |
Modern Left | LGM | UDI | Jean-Marie Bockel | 0 / 577 |
1 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Centre | Social liberalism | |
Movement of Progressives | MdP | EDS | Robert Hue | 0 / 577 |
1 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Left-wing | Democratic socialism | |
Génération citoyens | GC | Jean-Marie Cavada | 0 / 577 |
1 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Centre to right-wing | Social liberalism | ||
Démocratie et République | 0 / 577 |
1 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
||||||
Mouvement libéral et modéré | MLM | Philippe Adnot | 0 / 577 |
1 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
||||
Republican and Socialist Left | GRS | FI group, FGR | Emmanuel Maurel, Marie-Noëlle Lienemann |
0 / 577 |
1 / 348 |
1 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Left-wing | Socialism, Euroscepticism, economic interventionism, statism | |
Place Publique | PP | NUPES | Raphaël Glucksmann | 0 / 577 |
0 / 348 |
2 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Centre-left | Social democracy, Pro-Europeanism | |
Cap Ecology | Cap écologie | LREM | Corinne Lepage | 0 / 577 |
0 / 348 |
1 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Centre to centre-left | Environmentalism, Green liberalism, Green politics | |
New Deal | ND | NUPES | Arnaud Lelache & Aline Mouquet | 0 / 577 |
0 / 348 |
1 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Centre-left to left-wing | Progressivism, Keynesianism, European federalism | |
Freedom Ecology Fraternity | LEF | LT | 0 / 577 |
0 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Centre-left | Green politics | ||
Citizen and Republican Movement | MRC | NG, FGR | Jean-Luc Laurent | 0 / 577 |
0 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Left-wing | Left-wing Gaullism, souverainism, democratic socialism, soft Euroscepticism, protectionism | |
Résistons! | None | Jean Lassalle | 0 / 577 |
0 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Centre | Ruralism, humanism, localism, sovereignty | ||
Initiative démocratique de gauche | 0 / 577 |
0 / 348 |
0 / 74 |
0 / 17 |
0 / 101 |
Centre-left | Social democracy | ||||
Regional parties with national representation
Region-only parties
Acronym and Name | National coalition | Leader or Chairman | Territorial councillors | Ideology |
---|---|---|---|---|
LMR: Rurality Movement | None | Eddie Puyjalon | 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 |
Non-elected parties
Acronym and Name | National coalition | Leader or Chairman | Political Position |
---|---|---|---|
AF: French Action | None | Stéphane Blanchonnet | Monarchism, nationalism, conservatism, Euroscepticism, |
UPR: Popular Republican Union | None | François Asselineau | French nationalism, Hard Euroscepticism |
CJ: Comités Jeanne | None | Jean-Marie Le Pen | Nationalism, Euroscepticism, souverainism |
AR: Royal Alliance | None | Pierre Bernard | Monarchism (Orléanism), conservatism, Euroscepticism |
NAR: New Royalist Action | None | Bertrand Renouvin | Monarchism, conservatism, Euroscepticism, Gaullism |
RD: Democratic Rally | None | Philippe Cartellier | Monarchism, conservatism, Gaullism, 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 | None | Collective | Communism, Marxism–Leninism, Hoxhaism, Anti-revisionism |
PRCF: Pole of Communist Revival in France | None | Léon Landini | Communism, Marxism-Leninism, Left-wing 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 |
FA: Anarchist Federation | None | Collective | Anarchist Synthesist, anarchism without adjectives |
PL: Libertarian Party | None | Guilhem d'Urbal | Libertarianism |
UCL: Libertarian Communist Union | None | Collective | Anarchist Communism, Anarcha-feminism |
JC: New Jacobin Party | None | Gerald d'Ouvril, acting leader
Maximilien Robespierre, youth leader |
Jacobinism, Republicanism |
Volt: Volt France | None | Fabiola Conti, Sven Franck | European federalism, Social liberalism, Progressivism, Pro-Europeanism |
SP: Solidarity and Progress | None | Jacques Cheminade | Euroscepticism, LaRouchism |
French Revolution
Historical parties
- Bonapartists (1815, 1851–1889)
- Socialist Party of France (1902)
- French Socialist Party (1902)
- French Socialist Party (1919)
- Socialist Party of France – Jean Jaurès Union
- French Section of the Workers International
- Democratic Republican Alliance
- Union of the Democratic Forces (1958–1960)
- French Agrarian and Farmer Party (PAPF; 1927–1939)
- Agrarian and Social Republican Party (PRAS; 1936–1940)
- Farmers' Social Union Party (1945–1951)
- The New Democrats (2020–2022)
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
Notes
- part of Hauts-de-France
References
- "Elections régionales : le FN vainqueur du premier tour". Le Monde.fr. 6 December 2015.
- "Régionales : le PS se retire en PACA et dans le Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie". 6 December 2015.
- "Will Macron's Centrism Defeat France's Growing Right Wing?". The New Yorker. 14 April 2022.
- "Création de la Fédération de la Gauche Républicaine". 29 April 2022.