France: Political parties at a glance

Parties in comparison

Liberal
Socialist
Capitalist
Conservative

Explanation of the chart

The graph shows the economic orientation of the parties on the X-axis from left to right. The further left, the more actively the state should intervene via taxes, regulations and redistribution. The further to the right, the less the state should intervene.

On the Y-axis from top to bottom, the parties are categorized according to their life models. The further up a party, the more it prioritizes liberal lifestyles over traditional views and material goods. The further down, the more a party aligns itself with traditional lifestyles and sees the state as the moral authority for living together.

Data was collected through the 2019 Chapel Hill Expert Survey by more than 400 policy experts. Party positions may change over time. Therefore, the chart serves only as an overview and cannot make statements about specific political topics.

Ryan Bakker, Liesbet Hooghe, Seth Jolly, Gary Marks, Jonathan Polk, Jan Rovny, Marco Steenbergen, and Milada Anna Vachudova. 2020. “2019 Chapel Hill Expert Survey.” - University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Ensemble

Citizens Together
Liberal politics
RE
EU Parliament
15.0
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 20%
Part of the Government
Together for the Republic, often simply called Together, is a centrist party alliance in France, founded in November 2021 to support the presidency of Emmanuel Macron. It unites several parties, including Renaissance (formerly La République en Marche), the Democratic Movement (MoDem), and Horizons. The aim of the alliance is to secure a stable majority in Parliament and to advance Macron's political reforms. In the 2022 legislative elections, Together secured the most seats but fell short of an absolute majority.

Les Républicains

The Republicans
Centre-right
EPP
EU Parliament
12.0
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 6.6%
Part of the Government
The Republicans (LR) is a conservative party in France that emerged in 2015 from the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP). It represents bourgeois, right-liberal positions and is a member of the European People's Party. In recent years, LR has experienced a loss of significance and internal tensions, particularly due to discussions about possible alliances with the right-populist National Rally (RN).

NFP

New Popular Front
Left-wing
?
EU Parliament
19.0
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 28%
The Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) is a leftist political alliance in France, founded in June 2024. It unites parties such as La France Insoumise, the Socialist Party, the Greens, and the Communist Party. In the early parliamentary elections in July 2024, the NFP surprisingly achieved the most seats in the National Assembly, but without an absolute majority. The alliance advocates for social justice, ecological sustainability, and economic reforms.

Rassemblement national

National Rally
Right-wing
PfE
EU Parliament
35.0
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 29.2%
The Rassemblement National (RN), formerly known as Front National, is a right-wing populist to far-right party in France. Founded in 1972 by Jean-Marie Le Pen, it has been led by his daughter Marine Le Pen since 2011. The party is known for its nationalist and EU-skeptical positions as well as its strict stance against immigration. Under Marine Le Pen, the RN has attempted to moderate its image and present itself as a patriotic alternative. In the 2022 parliamentary elections, the party became the largest opposition party in the National Assembly.

Divers droite

Divers droite
Right-wing
?
EU Parliament
1.0
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 3.7%
In France, 'Divers droite' (abbreviated DVD) refers to politicians or candidates who are assigned to the right-wing political spectrum but do not belong to a specific party. This designation includes both members of small right-wing parties and independent candidates. In the last elections, Divers droite achieved 3.7% of the votes and currently has 27 representatives in the National Assembly.

Extreme droite

Extreme droite
Far right
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 3.9%
In France, 'Extreme droite' (abbreviated as EXD) refers to politicians or candidates who are associated with the far-right political spectrum but do not belong to a specific party. This designation includes both members of small right-wing parties and independent candidates.

Divers gauche

Divers gauche
Left-wing
?
EU Parliament
2.5
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 1.5%
In France, politicians or candidates who are considered to belong to the political left but do not belong to any specific party are summarized under the term 'Divers gauche' (DVG), translated to 'Diverse Left' in English. This categorization allows independent left-wing candidates to run in elections and be recorded in official statistics.

Regionalists

Regionalists
Regional interests
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 1%

Regionalists is a regional interest party that is currently represented in the parliament with 9 MPs.

Divers centre

Candidates of the center
Center
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 1.2%
In France, 'Divers centre' (DVC) refers to independent politicians or candidates who align themselves with the political center but do not belong to any major party. This designation is used by the French Ministry of the Interior to classify such centrist candidates.

UDI

Union of Democrats and Independents
Centre-right
RE
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0.5%
The Union of Democrats and Independents (UDI) is a political party founded in 2012 in France, which is categorized as center to center-right. It represents centrist, liberal, Christian democratic, and pro-European positions. The UDI emerged as a coalition of several parties and acts as an independent political force. It advocates for strong European integration and economic liberalism.

Debout la France

France Arise
Right-wing
ECR
EU Parliament
1.0
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%
Debout la France (DLF) is a French political party founded in 2008 by Nicolas Dupont-Aignan. It represents national-conservative and sovereignist positions, invoking Gaullism. The party advocates for the national sovereignty of France and is critical of the European Union. In the 2012 and 2017 presidential elections, Dupont-Aignan ran as a candidate but only achieved small shares of the vote. In 2024, he lost his seat in the National Assembly, which he had held since 1997.

Extrême gauche

Extrême gauche
Far left
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 1.1%
In France, 'Extrême gauche' (shortened to EXG) refers to politicians or candidates who are classified as part of the far-left political spectrum but do not belong to any specific party. This designation includes both members of small far-left parties and independent candidates.

La France insoumise

Unsubmissive France
Left-wing
LEFT
EU Parliament
8.0
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%
La France Insoumise (LFI) is a leftist political movement in France, founded in 2016 by Jean-Luc Mélenchon. It advocates for social justice, ecological sustainability, and a democratic restructuring of France. LFI aims to move away from neoliberal economic policies and emphasizes the importance of citizen participation. The movement has established itself as a significant force on the left spectrum and actively participates in national elections.

Reconquête

Reconquest
Far right
ESN
EU Parliament
3.0
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0.7%
Reconquête is a far-right party in France, founded in 2021 by Éric Zemmour. It emphasizes national sovereignty, the protection of French identity, and strict immigration control. In the 2022 presidential election, Zemmour received 7.07% of the votes. The party attracted members from the Rassemblement National and the Républicains. In June 2024, Reconquête received 5.5% of the votes in the European elections, resulting in five seats in the European Parliament. However, internal tensions led to the split of prominent members like Marion Maréchal, who founded the party Identité-Libertés in October 2024.