Some of the major political parties of France are as follows:
1. The Socialist Party:
This is a major political party of France. It was established in 1905. This party believes in state control over industry and state intervention in favour of planned economy. It stands committed to uphold the democratic and republican character of the French Political System. It stands for nationalization, welfare state, planned economic investment, public housing, industrialisation, more civic liberty, municipal liberty and local welfare services.
It favors the French membership of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and of the EEC and other agencies of the European Community. This party is a well-organised party.The lowest units of this party arc called Sections and these are organised in the Communes, Cantons and Arrondisements.
Several Sections combine together to form a Federation. In each Department there is a Federation. At the apex of the party organisation, is the National Congress. It consists of delegates elected by the Sections and the Federations. It works as the parliament of the party. It appoints a Directory Council and a General Secretary. These two perform the executive functions of the party.
2. Popular Republican Movement (M.R.P. i.e. Movement Republican Populaire):
The party was established in 1924 by those persons who were previously the members of the People’s Democratic Party. This is a partly-liberal and partly-socialist party. It is opposed to both extreme liberal capitalism and totalitarian collectivism.
Like the Liberalists, this party also believes in the rights and liberties of the individual. It also favours liberal governmental aid for schools run by the Churches. The members of this party are committed to the Christian ideals. This party is a well-organised party having its units at local, provincial and national levels.
3. The Radical Socialist Party:
This party was established in 1936. It represents the interests of the lower classes, small shop-keepers in particular. This party is a loose group of Democratic and Socialist Resistance Unions.
4. The Conservatives (The RGR):
This party consists of a number of political groups. At the time of 1946 elections, the Independents, the Peasants, the Socialist Worker’s Party and the Republican Party of Liberty merged with this party. Together, these called themselves the ‘Fourth Force’. It is a rightist party and a firm supporter of the Church and Church institutions. It still calls itself a Fourth Force. It has the support of the Independents, the Peasants, the Socialists Workers’ Party and the Republican Party of Liberty. In fact, these four groups together form the Conservatives or the RGR in the French Party System.
5. The Communist Party:
This party had its birth in the form of the Socialist Party in 1892. In 1920, there came a split in the Socialist Party. A majority of the members of this party decided to form the Communist Party which was to follow Marxist-Leninist ideology and programme. Between 1920- 1990, the Communist Party of France remained an active actor in French politics. Its popularity got subsequently reduced. It believes in complete state control over the means of production and distribution. It is a Marxist party working within the democratic French Political System. It is a well disciplined and well-organised party.
The lowest units of this party are the Cells, which are organised in different factories and villages. Several Cells are grouped together to form a Section. At the Department level, there is a Federation which represents the Sections. At the national level, there is the National Congress of the Party. This Congress works as the parliament of the party.
It elects a Permanent Committee of 100 members and this Committee further elects a small committee called the Committee of the Political Control. The prominent leaders of the party are members of this committee. It is now a minor political party as it enjoys the support of around 5% voters.
6. The Union of New Republic (The U.N.R.) and the Rally for the Republic RPR:
The Union of the new Republic (U.N.R.) was established only a few weeks before the 1950 elections.
It was formed by combining the four major Gaullist movements viz:
(1) The Socialist Republicans,
(2) The Union for French Renewal,
(3) The Republicans Convention and
(4) The Workers’ Committee for the support of General de Gaullle.
It was only in 1961 that the U.N.R. was in a position to formulate a policy for itself. This party has firm faith in liberal democratic principles. Its leaders often describe it as ‘a Centre Party’. During the era of Gauilism in French politics, this party out rightly supported the policies of the government. It was given the name of the government party. It support progressive reforms and is opposed to traditional conservativism. It stand for “radical social change with intense nationalism” Ideologically, it definitely stands right of the centre.
The French Party System is a complex phenomenon characterised by continuous and rapid flux, involving alignments, realignments and counter alignments. The party scene in the National Assembly usually contains as many as twenty groups or parliamentary formations. The remarks made by Dorothy Pickles that “parties come and go in bewildering numbers, sometimes within a very short time” is an apt description of the French Party System.
The conscious attempts made by the framers of the Constitution of the Fifth Republic to reduce the menacing role of political parties bear testimony to this view. The political parties in France are far from being strong, well structured and organised parties with definite ideological commitments.