List of political parties in France facts for kids
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, 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.
Contents
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 |
155 / 577
|
13 / 348
|
11 / 74
|
1 / 18
|
2 / 98
|
Centre | Liberalism | |
| The Republicans | LR | Eric Ciotti |
62 / 577
|
116 / 348
|
7 / 74
|
3 / 18
|
39 / 98
|
Centre-right to right-wing | Conservatism | |
| National Rally | RN | Jordan Bardella |
88 / 577
|
3 / 348
|
19 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Right-wing to far-right | Right-wing populism | |
| Socialist Party | PS | Olivier Faure |
27 / 577
|
63 / 348
|
2 / 74
|
5 / 18
|
27 / 98
|
Centre-left | Social democracy | |
| La France Insoumise | FI | Manuel Bompard |
69 / 577
|
0 / 348
|
3 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
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 |
49 / 577
|
3 / 348
|
6 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
1 / 98
|
Centre to centre-right | Liberalism, social liberalism, Christian democracy | |
| Horizons | Ensemble | Édouard Philippe |
28 / 577
|
13 / 348
|
2 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Centre-right | Liberal conservatism | ||
| Left Party | PG | NUPES | Eric Coquerel, Danielle Simonnet |
20 / 577
|
0 / 348
|
2 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Left-wing | Democratic socialism, left-wing populism, left-wing nationalism | |
| The Ecologists | LÉ | NUPES | Marine Tondelier |
16 / 577
|
12 / 348
|
9 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Centre-left to left-wing | Green politics | |
| French Communist Party | PCF | GDR, NUPES | Fabien Roussel |
12 / 577
|
14 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Left-wing to far-left | Communism, soft Euroscepticism | |
| Union of Democrats and Independents | UDI | UDC | Jean-Christophe Lagarde |
10 / 577
|
32 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
8 / 98
|
Centre to centre-right | Centrism, social liberalism, pro-Europeanism, Christian democracy | |
| Ecosocialist Left | GES | FI group, NUPES |
4 / 577
|
0 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Left-wing | Socialism, eco-socialism, anti-globalisation | ||
| Radical Party | RAD | Ensemble, LT | Laurent Hénart, Sylvia Pinel |
5 / 577
|
8 / 348
|
2 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Centre | Liberalism, pro-Europeanism | |
| Génération.s | NUPES | Benoît Hamon |
4 / 577
|
0 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Centre-left to left-wing | Social democracy, democratic socialism | ||
| En Commun | EC | Ensemble | Philippe Hardouin |
4 / 577
|
0 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Centre-left | Green politics | |
| The Centrists | LC | LT, UDC | Hervé Morin |
1 / 577
|
7 / 348
|
1 / 74
|
1 / 18
|
2 / 98
|
Centre to centre-right | Centrism, conservative liberalism, Christian democracy | |
| Soyons libres | SL | LR, UDC | Valérie Pécresse |
2 / 577
|
6 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
1 / 18
|
1 / 98
|
Centre-right | Liberal conservatism, Gaullism, economic liberalism, pro-Europeanism | |
| Ecology Generation | GE | NUPES | Delphine Batho |
1 / 577
|
0 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Centre | Green politics, integral ecology, eco-feminism | |
| Radical Party of the Left | PRG | Guillaume Lacroix |
0 / 577
|
4 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
2 / 98
|
Centre-left | Social liberalism, Pro-Europeanism | ||
| Ecological Revolution for the Living | REV | NUPES | Aymeric Caron |
1 / 577
|
0 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Left-wing | Animal rights, Social democracy | |
| Ecologist Party | PE | LREM | François de Rugy |
1 / 577
|
0 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
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 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Right-wing to far-right | French nationalism, national conservatism, Gaullism, Republicanism, souverainism, social conservatism, Euroscepticism | |
| Independent Workers' Party | POI | FI group, NUPES |
1 / 577
|
0 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Left-wing |
Marxism |
||
| Reconquête | R! | None | Éric Zemmour |
1 / 577
|
1 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Far-right | National conservatism, Anti-immigration, Gaullism, Soft Euroscepticism | |
| Democratic European Force | FED | UDI, UDC | Jean-Christophe Lagarde |
0 / 577
|
2 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Centre-right | Centrism, social liberalism, pro-Europeanism, Christian democracy | |
| Centrist Alliance | AC | LaREM | Philippe Folliot |
2 / 577
|
4 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Centre | Centrism, liberalism | |
| La Force du 13 | LFD13 | None | Jean-Noël Guérini |
0 / 577
|
1 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Left-wing | Social democracy | |
| Modern Left | LGM | UDI | Jean-Marie Bockel |
0 / 577
|
1 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Centre | Social liberalism | |
| Democracy and republic |
0 / 577
|
1 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
||||||
| Republican and Socialist Left | GRS | FI group, FGR | Emmanuel Maurel, Marie-Noëlle Lienemann |
0 / 577
|
0 / 348
|
1 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Left-wing | Socialism, Euroscepticism, economic interventionism, statism | |
| Place Publique | PP | NUPES | Raphaël Glucksmann |
0 / 577
|
0 / 348
|
2 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Centre-left | Social democracy, Pro-Europeanism | |
| Cap Ecology | Cap écologie | LREM | Corinne Lepage |
0 / 577
|
0 / 348
|
1 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Centre to centre-left | Environmentalism, Green liberalism, Green politics | |
| New Deal | ND | NUPES | Arnaud Lelache & Aline Mouquet |
0 / 577
|
0 / 348
|
1 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Centre-left to left-wing | Progressivism, Keynesianism, European federalism | |
| French Future | LAF | National Rally group | Jean-Philippe Tanguy |
5 / 577
|
0 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Right-wing to far-right | Gaullism National conservatism Souverainism Euroscepticism |
|
| Progressive Federation | FP | Renaissance group | François Rebsamen |
2 / 577
|
0 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Left-wing | Social democracy Progressivism Pro-Europeanism |
|
| La France Audacieuse | LFA | Senate Republicans | Christian Estrosi |
0 / 577
|
2 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Centre-right | Gaullism Liberal conservatism Christian democracy Pro-Europeanism | |
| Dare France | OLF | Senate Republicans | Julien Aubert |
5 / 577
|
4 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
0 / 98
|
Gaullism | ||
| The Convention | LC | Bernard Cazeneuve |
3 / 577
|
2 / 348
|
0 / 74
|
0 / 18
|
2 / 98
|
Left-wing | Socialism | ||
Regional parties with national representation
| Territory | Party | Abbr. | National coalition |
Leader or chair | Députés | Senators | MEPs | Presidency of regional councils |
Presidency of departmental councils |
Political position |
Ideology | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Corsica |
Femu a Corsica | Femu | LT | Gilles Simeoni |
2 / 4
|
1 / 2
|
1 / 79
|
1 / 1
|
Centre | Corsican nationalism, Corsican autonomism | ||
 New Caledonia |
Caledonia Together | CE | UDI | Philippe Gomès |
1 / 2
|
0 / 2
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Centre-right | Anti-separatism, progressivism, protectionism, environmentalism, Christian democracy | ||
 French Polynesia |
Tapura Huiraatira | TH | Ensemble | Édouard Fritch |
0 / 3
|
1 / 2
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Centre-right | Liberalism, autonomism, anti-independence | ||
 Guadeloupe |
United Guadeloupe, Solidary and Responsible | GUSR | LREM | Guy Losbar |
0 / 4
|
2 / 3
|
0 / 79
|
1 / 1
|
Centre-left | Social democracy, social liberalism, autonomism | ||
| French Guiana |
Guiana Rally | GR | LREM | Rodolphe Alexandre |
0 / 2
|
1 / 2
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Centre | |||
| Réunion |
For Réunion | PLR | GDR, NUPES | Huguette Bello |
2 / 7
|
1 / 348
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Left-wing | Post-Marxism, social democracy, regionalism | ||
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon |
Cap sur l'avenir | LREM | Annick Girardin |
0 / 1
|
1 / 1
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Centre-left | Classical radicalism | |||
| French Polynesia |
Tavini Huiraatira | TH | GDR | Oscar Temaru |
3 / 3
|
0 / 2
|
0 / 79
|
1 / 1
|
Left-wing | French Polynesian independence, social democracy, democratic socialism, progressivism | ||
| Corsica |
Party of the Corsican Nation | PNC | LT | Jean-Christophe Angelini |
1 / 4
|
0 / 2
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Left-wing | Corsican nationalism, left-wing nationalism, social democracy | ||
 Martinique |
Péyi-A | GDR | Jean-Philippe Nilor, Marcelin Nadeau |
2 / 4
|
0 / 348
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Left-wing | Post-Marxism, separatism | |||
| Réunion |
Rézistans Equality 974 | RÉ974 | FI group, NUPES | Jean-Hugues Ratenon |
2 / 7
|
0 / 348
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Left-wing | Social democracy, regionalism | ||
 Picardy |
Picardie debout | FI group, NUPES | François Ruffin |
1 / 10
|
0 / 348
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
0 / 3
|
Far-left | Anti-capitalism, protectionism, left-wing souverainism, left-wing populism, participatory democracy, eco-socialism | ||
 Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
League of the South | LS | RN group | Jacques Bompard |
1 / 20
|
0 / 348
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
0 / 5
|
Far-right | National conservatism, souverainism, identitarian, anti-globalization, regionalism, patriotism, localism, Poujadism, liberal conservatism | |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon |
Archipelago Tomorrow | AD | RDSE | Gérard Grignon |
1 / 1
|
0 / 1
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Centre-right | Christian democracy, Social conservatism | ||
| Corsica |
Bonapartist Central Committee | CCB | Horizons group | André Villanova |
1 / 4
|
0 / 2
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Centre-right | Ajaccio localism, Corsican regionalism, Bonapartism, Conservatism, Constitutional monarchism | ||
| Guadeloupe |
Progressive Democratic Party of Guadeloupe | PPDG | NUPES | Jacques Bangou |
1 / 4
|
0 / 2
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Centre-left to left-wing | Democratic socialism, Post-Marxism, Guadeloupean autonomy | ||
| New Caledonia |
Générations NC | GNC | Renaissance group | Nicolas Metzdorf |
1 / 2
|
0 / 2
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Centre to centre-right | Anti-separatism, Autonomism, Conservative liberalism, Centralism, Ecologism | ||
| Martinique |
Martinican Progressive Party | PPM | NUPES | Serge Letchimy |
1 / 4
|
0 / 2
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Left-wing | Progressivism, Democratic socialism, Autonomism | ||
| Martinique |
Eko Zabym | EK | LIOT | Olivier Serva |
1 / 4
|
0 / 2
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
localism | |||
| French Guiana |
Decolonization and Social Emancipation Movement | MDES | NUPES | Fabien Canavy |
1 / 2
|
0 / 2
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Far-left | Guianese nationalism, Anti-colonialism,Marxism | ||
| Réunion |
Le Progrès | LP | NUPES |
1 / 7
|
0 / 4
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Left-wing | Social democracy | |||
| Réunion |
For Réunion | PLA | NUPES | Huguette Bello |
2 / 7
|
1 / 2
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Left-wing | Post-Marxism, Democratic socialism | ||
| Saint Martin |
Saint-Martinois Rally | RSM | NUPES | Huguette Bello |
1 / 1
|
1 / 2
|
0 / 79
|
1 / 1
|
Left-wing | Autonomism | ||
| New Caledonia |
The Rally | The Republicans | Thierry Santa |
0 / 2
|
1 / 2
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Right-wing | Anti-separatism, Gaullism, Conservatism, Liberal conservatism, Christian democracy | |||
 French diaspora |
Solidarity alliance of French people abroad | ASFE | The Republicans | Évelyne Renaud-Garabedian |
0 / 11
|
2 / 6
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Centre-right to Right-wing | |||
| French Guiana |
New Force of Guyana | NFG | RDPI | Marie-Laure Phinéra-Horth |
0 / 2
|
1 / 2
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Left-wing | |||
| New Caledonia |
Caledonian Union | UC | CRCE-Kanaky, Ensemble Citoyens | Daniel Goa |
0 / 2
|
1 / 2
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Centre-left | Separatism, Melanesian socialism, Christian left | ||
| French Polynesia |
Ia Ora te Nuna'a | RDPI, Ensemble Citoyens | Teva Rohfritsch |
0 / 3
|
1 / 2
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Centre to Centre-right | French Polynesian autonomy Anti-independence |
|||
| Guadeloupe |
Guadeloupean Federation of the Socialist Party | FGPS | NUPES | Olivier Nicolas |
1 / 4
|
1 / 3
|
0 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
0 / 1
|
Centre-Left | Democratic socialism, Progressivism, Social democracy, Social-ecology, Pro-Europeanism | |
 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes |
The Localists | LL | National Rally | Hervé Juvin |
0 / 577
|
0 / 348
|
1 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
Right-wing | Identitarian movement | ||
 Brittany |
Breton Democratic Union | UBD | Lydie Massard & Pierre-Emmanuel Marais |
0 / 577
|
0 / 348
|
1 / 79
|
0 / 1
|
0 / 4
|
Left-wing | Autonomism, Environmentalism, Pro-Europeanism | ||
Region-only parties
| Acronym and Name | National coalition | Leader or Chairman | Territorial councillors | Ideology | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LMR: Rurality Movement | None | Eddie Puyjalon | Regional:
4 / 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 | |
| CNIP: National Centre of Independents and Peasants | None | Bruno North | Regional:
4 / 1,880
|
French nationalism, Conservatism, Agrarianism, Euroscepticism | |
| VIA: VIA, the Way of the People | None | Jean-Frédéric Poisson | Regional:
2 / 1,880
|
Christian democracy,Social conservatism, Christian right, Soft Euroscepticism | |
| PLB: Brittany Movement and Progress | None | André Lavanant | Regional:
1 / 1,880
|
Breton nationalism, Regionalism, Socialism, Ecology | |
| PA: Animalist Party | None | Antoine Stathoulias, Douchka Markovic, Hélène Thouy, Pierre Mazaheri | Regional:
1 / 1,880
|
Animal welfare, Animal rights | |
| BE: Brittany Ecology | None | None | Regional:
1 / 1,880
|
Progressivism, Green politics, European federalism, Alter-globalization, Regionalism | |
Non-elected parties
| Acronym and Name | National coalition | Leader or Chairman | Political Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| PL: Libertarian Party | None | Guilhem d'Urbal | Libertarianism |
| PT: Workers' Party | None | Collective | Communism, Trotskyism, Lambertism, Internationalism, Euroscepticism |
| 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 | Cécile Richard, Adrien Copros | European federalism, Social liberalism, Progressivism, Pro-Europeanism |
| SP: Solidarity and Progress | None | Jacques Cheminade | Euroscepticism, LaRouchism |
| AP: Animalist Party | None | Hélène Thouy | Animal welfare, animal rights |
French Revolution
- Jacobin Club (Centre-left to left-wing)
- Girondist (Centre-left)
- Maraisards (Syncretic)
- Montagnards (Radicalism)
- Cordeliers Club (Left-wing to far-left)
- Hébertistes (Far-left)
- Feuillants Club
- Enragés (Far-left)
- Monarchiens (Centre to centre-right)
- Club de Clichy (Right-wing)
- Bonapartists (1815)
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 [fr] (PAPF; 1927–1939)
- Agrarian and Social Republican Party [fr] (PRAS; 1936–1940)
- National Popular Rally (RNP; 1941–1945)
- Farmers' Social Union Party [fr] (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
- French India Socialist Party
- Mahé Socialist Party
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Partidos políticos de Francia para niños
- Liberalism and radicalism in France
- Lists of political parties
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