Interest groups in France are numerous but weak. Unlike British interest groups that powerfully ally to become a united force, such as the Trade Unions Council, French groups are fragmented by ideology, religion, and profession. Interest groups exist for most professional groups, students, small businesses, farmers, and many commercial groups. Some interest groups, such as the farmers unions, very actively demonstrate their views. The farmers recently gained international press when they blocked major roads by dumping manure to stop traffic. French civil servants pay little attention to such tactics, and consultation with interest groups, except for business, are merely formality.
Unions in France provide good examples of fragmentation that leads to weakness. Three industrial unions compete with one other in most factories and offices. The CGT (General Confederation of Labor) is affiliated with the Communist party. The CFDT (French Democratic Confederation of Labor) began as a Catholic Union but dropped its ties to the church during the 1970s and now has close ties to the Socialist party. Force Ouvriere (Workers' Force) is the most moderate of the three and also has some connections to the Socialist party. Because the three groups compete for power, rather than uniting for bargaining with the government, unions have only a limited say in policy making. This tendency to conflict is a reflection of the broader French political culture that accepts alienation and conflict as a part of the political process.