Political Parties and Elections

Toward the end of the Fourth Republic, a well-known commentator on French politics remarked that in France “there are two fundamental principles: that of the Right and that of the Left; three main tendencies, if one adds the center; six political families; ten parties, small and large, each opposed by multiple currents; fourteen parliamentary groups, highly undisciplined; and forty million opinions.” ¹ From the Third Republic to the present, dozens of political formations have existed, each holding somewhat different views about economic and social policy, the relationship between the executive and the legislature and between the national and local governments, and the place of religion in politics. Some of these formations have represented distinct social classes; others have attempted to transcend classes and appeal to a broadly based national electorate. Some parties trace their origins to the Revolution of 1789; others to the Third or Fourth Republic; and still others have been formed recently, either to deal with specific, short-term challenges or to respond to appeals from charismatic leaders. Some have mass memberships and complex national organizations; others are little more than coalitions of local notables. Some have had fully developed ideologies and programs; others are little more than clubs, created by politicians for a variety of purposes, such as expressing their ideas in small-circulation journals, enhancing their visibility, or improving their maneuverability.