Free Dom is a left-wing political party in the

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

overseas department The overseas departments and regions of France (, ; DROM) are the five departments and regions of the French Republic which are located outside European France (also known as " metropolitan France"). These overseas entities have exactly the s ...

Réunion Réunion (; ; ; known as before 1848) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately east of the isl ...

, closely associated with the

Communist Party of Réunion The Communist Party of Réunion (, PCR) is a communist political party in the French overseas department of Réunion (in the Indian Ocean). History PCR was founded in 1959, as the French Communist Party (PCF) federation in Reunion became an inde ...

(PCR). It was founded in 1996 by Camille and Margie Sudre.

History

''Radio Free Dom'' was established by Camille Sudre and his wife Margie in 1981. Its success led to the creation of a television channel, ''Télé Free Dom'', a few years later. However, ''Télé Free Dom'' was quickly deemed illegal and shut down by the

Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel The (, ), abbreviated CSA, was a French institution created in 1989 whose role was to regulate the various electronic media in France, such as radio and television. The creation of the (High Authority for Audiovisual Communication) was a measure ...

(CSA), which prohibited its broadcasts. This decision was seen as "silencing the voice of the people", leading to a series of clashes between youths and riot police (CRS) in Saint-Denis in February 1991, an event known as the ". Recognizing the underlying social unrest in Réunion, Camille Sudre founded a political movement named Free Dom, which he led. In 1992, he was elected

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of the

Regional Council of Réunion The Regional Council (France), Regional Council of Réunion consists of 45 members. Organization and composition Regional assembly Presidency Since 2 July 2021, the President of the Regional Council of Réunion has been Huguette Bello. ...

with a platform focused on achieving social equality with

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. However, his election was annulled by the

Conseil d'État In France, the (; Council of State) is a governmental body that acts both as legal adviser to the executive branch and as the supreme court for administrative justice, which is one of the two branches of the French judiciary system. Establ ...

the following year due to campaign finance violations, prompting new elections. Margie Sudre succeeded her husband as head of the institution but soon diverged from his political views, moving closer to the right and joining the government in 1995. Despite her departure, the Free Dom movement continued, maintaining a close relationship with PCR. Together, they formed the electoral alliance ''Alliance pour la Réunion''.

References

{{Reflist Politics of Réunion Left-wing parties in France