POLITICAL PARTIES

POLITICAL PARTIES

At the heart of the French conflictual political culture is the multi-party system. Many parties have come and gone, but the basic distinction between "left" and "right" define each party's role in government. Until the Fifth Republic, parties were weak and unstable, with party membership low. Even today, few voters are members of political parties. Currently, under the government of the Fifth Republic, two trends have appeared in recent years:

Fewer parties with longer-lasting coalitions - Before the Fifth Republic, the number of parties proliferated, many with very specific (and sometimes short-lasting) goals and causes. Today the parties have stabilized and appear to be forming longer-last coalitions than during the Third and Fourth Republics. Multiple parties do still exist, with at least five major political parties that are still important in determining policy and defining voter behavior.
Movement toward the ideological center - Even though the left/right division is still important, at least three of the major political parties have moderated their views and policies toward the center of the ideological spectrum. One party - the UDF - bases its voter appeal on its centrist positions, and has influenced the more right-leaning RPR to join with it often as a coalition that appeals to a broad range of voters.