The

far-left Far-left politics, also known as extreme left politics or left-wing extremism, are politics further to the left on the left–right political spectrum than the standard political left. The term does not have a single, coherent definition; some ...

in France encompasses political organizations, movements, and ideologies that are considered to be at the furthest left end of the political spectrum. It includes a variety of political traditions, such as

revolutionary socialism Revolutionary socialism is a political philosophy, doctrine, and tradition within socialism that stresses the idea that a social revolution is necessary to bring about structural changes in society. More specifically, it is the view that revo ...

anarchism Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...

Maoism Maoism, officially Mao Zedong Thought, is a variety of Marxism–Leninism that Mao Zedong developed while trying to realize a socialist revolution in the agricultural, pre-industrial society of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic o ...

, and

Trotskyism Trotskyism (, ) is the political ideology and branch of Marxism developed by Russian revolutionary and intellectual Leon Trotsky along with some other members of the Left Opposition and the Fourth International. Trotsky described himself as an ...

. Historically, the far-left has distinguished itself by opposing the reformist left represented by the PCF and the

SFIO The C programming language provides many standard library functions for file input and output. These functions make up the bulk of the C standard library header . The functionality descends from a "portable I/O package" written by Mike Lesk at ...

, advocating instead for the overthrow of capitalism and the establishment of a classless, egalitarian society.

History

Origins

The roots of the far-left in France can be traced back to the French Revolution (1789–1799), particularly to the ideas of

Gracchus Babeuf The Gracchi brothers were two brothers who lived during the beginning of the late Roman Republic: Tiberius Gracchus and Gaius Gracchus. They served in the plebeian tribunates of 133 BC and 122–121 BC, respectively. They have bee ...

and the "

Conspiracy of the Equals The Conspiracy of the Equals () of May 1796 was a failed coup d'etat during the French Revolution. It was led by François-Noël Babeuf, who wanted to overthrow the Directory and replace it with an egalitarian and proto-socialist republic, i ...

" in 1796. Babeuf envisioned a

classless society A classless society is a society in which no one is born into a social class like in a class society. Distinctions of wealth, income, education, culture, or social network might arise and would only be determined by individual experience an ...

and sought to overthrow the Directory to achieve "perfect equality." His vision laid the groundwork for modern communist and socialist ideologies. The ideas of this movement were later reflected in the ''Manifesto of the Equals,'' co-authored by Babeuf and Sylvain Maréchal.

19th century

During the 19th century, far-left ideas evolved through various revolutionary movements. Early socialists and communists emerged within republican circles opposed to the

Bourbon Restoration Bourbon Restoration may refer to: France under the House of Bourbon: * Bourbon Restoration in France (1814, after the French revolution and Napoleonic era, until 1830; interrupted by the Hundred Days in 1815) Spain under the Spanish Bourbons: * Ab ...

and the rise of

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...

. Thinkers such as

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (, ; ; 1809 – 19 January 1865) was a French anarchist, socialist, philosopher, and economist who founded mutualist philosophy and is considered by many to be the "father of anarchism". He was the first person to ca ...

and

Karl Marx Karl Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, political theorist, economist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He is best-known for the 1848 pamphlet '' The Communist Manifesto'' (written with Friedrich Engels) ...

began to influence the ideological underpinnings of the far-left. The revolutionary fervor culminated in the

Paris Commune The Paris Commune (, ) was a French revolutionary government that seized power in Paris on 18 March 1871 and controlled parts of the city until 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard (France), Nation ...

of 1871, which became a defining moment for the far-left. The Commune—a radical socialist and revolutionary government—served as a model for future far-left movements, emphasizing workers' control and direct democracy.

Early 20th century

The

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

of 1917 had a profound impact on the French far-left. The establishment of the

Third International The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern and also known as the Third International, was a political international which existed from 1919 to 1943 and advocated world communism. Emerging from the collapse of the Second Internation ...

inspired the creation of the

French Communist Party The French Communist Party (, , PCF) is a Communism, communist list of political parties in France, party in France. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its Member of the European Parliament, MEPs sit with The Left in the ...

(PCF) in 1920. However, some revolutionary socialists rejected the authoritarianism of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, leading to the emergence of various Trotskyist, anarchist, and left-communist currents. The interwar years also saw the rise of syndicalism and anarcho-syndicalism, with the CGT-SR playing a key role. These groups emphasized direct action and workers' autonomy, contrasting with the centralized structure of the PCF.

Post-World War II

After 1945, the far-left gained renewed momentum. The PCF became a dominant force in French politics, but its alignment with Soviet policies led to criticism from other revolutionary groups. The

Fédération Anarchiste ''Fédération Anarchiste'' (Anarchist Federation) is an anarchist federation in France, Belgium and Switzerland. It is a member of the International of Anarchist Federations since the latter's establishment in 1968. History The ''Féd� ...

(FA) and Trotskyist organizations like the

Parti Communiste Internationaliste (PCI) The Internationalist Communist Party (, PCI) was a Trotskyist political party in France. It was the name taken by the French Section of the Fourth International from its foundation until a name change in the late 1960s. Creation The Internation ...

expanded their activities. In the 1960s, the New Left emerged, driven by anti-colonial movements and opposition to the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

. Groups such as the

Ligue Communiste Révolutionnaire The Revolutionary Communist League (; LCR) was a Trotskyist political party in France. It was the French section of the Fourth International (post-reunification). It published the weekly newspaper ''Rouge'' and the journal ''Critique communiste' ...

(LCR) and

Lutte Ouvrière Lutte Ouvrière (, ) is a Trotskyist communist party in France, named after its weekly paper. Arlette Laguiller was the party's spokeswoman from 1973 to 2008 and ran in each presidential election until 2012, when Nathalie Arthaud was the candi ...

(LO) gained prominence, advocating for workers' councils and anti-capitalist struggle.

1968 and its aftermath

The

May 1968 protests May 68 () was a period of widespread protests, Strike action, strikes, and civil unrest in France that began in May 1968 and became one of the most significant social uprisings in modern European history. Initially sparked by student demonst ...

marked a watershed moment for the far-left. Students and workers united in strikes and demonstrations, challenging both capitalism and traditional political structures. The protests inspired a wave of activism, leading to the growth of Maoist and autonomist groups. The

Gauche Prolétarienne The (GP) was a French Maoist political party which existed from 1968 to 1974. As Christophe Bourseiller put it, "Of all the Maoist organizations after May 1968, the most important numerically as well as in cultural influence was without question ...

(GP), a Maoist organization, and the

Union des Jeunesses Communistes Marxistes-Léninistes Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Union ...

(UJCML) played pivotal roles. However, state repression and internal divisions eventually led to their decline.

Late 20th century

The decline of Soviet communism in the 1980s forced far-left groups to adapt. The Parti des Travailleurs (PT) emerged from the

Trotskyist Trotskyism (, ) is the political ideology and branch of Marxism developed by Russian revolutionary and intellectual Leon Trotsky along with some other members of the Left Opposition and the Fourth International. Trotsky described himself as an ...

tradition, while anarchist groups like

Alternative Libertaire ''Alternative libertaire'' (''AL'', "Libertarian Alternative") was a French anarchist organization formed in 1991 which publishes a monthly magazine, actively participates in a variety of social movements, and is a participant in the Anarkismo.n ...

gained influence within social movements. The rise of the alter-globalization movement in the 1990s, exemplified by protests against the

World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland that regulates and facilitates international trade. Governments use the organization to establish, revise, and enforce the rules that g ...

(WTO), provided new opportunities for the far-left to organize. Groups such as ATTAC and Ras l'Front focused on anti-capitalist and anti-fascist activism.

21st century

The far-left has continued to play a significant role in French politics and social movements. The

Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste The New Anticapitalist Party ( , NPA ) is a far-left political party in France founded in February 2009. The party launched with 9,200 members and was intended to unify the fractured movements of the French radical Left, and attract new activi ...

(NPA), founded in 2009, sought to unite anti-capitalist forces. Figures like

Olivier Besancenot Olivier Christophe Besancenot (; born 18 April 1974) is a French far-left political figure and trade unionist, and the founding main spokesperson of the New Anticapitalist Party (''Nouveau parti anticapitaliste'', NPA) from 2009 to 2011. He wa ...

and

Philippe Poutou Philippe Poutou (; born 14 March 1967) is a French far-left politician, bookseller, former trade unionist and car factory worker who has been municipal councillor of Bordeaux and metropolitan councillor of Bordeaux Métropole since 2020. A m ...

became prominent voices for the movement. Recent years have seen the rise of autonomist activism, including the

ZAD de Notre-Dame-des-Landes ZAD de Notre-Dame-des-Landes (also known as ZAD NDDL) is the most well-known 'Zone to Defend' in France. Located in the Loire-Atlantique Departments of France, department near to Nantes, it is a very large, mostly agricultural terrain of 1,650 hec ...

and Black Bloc tactics during protests. The far-left also played a role in the

Gilets Jaunes The yellow vests protests or yellow-jacket protests (, ) were a series of populist, grassroots weekly protests in France that began on 17 November 2018 and ended on 28 June 2020. Some minor protests started again after the restrictions linked ...

movement, emphasizing direct democracy and anti-austerity policies.

Key movements and organizations

Trotskyism

Trotskyism in France In France, several organizations identify with Trotskyism. These groups vary in size, with memberships ranging from a few dozen to several thousand activists. History Beginnings: 1929–1933 In 1929, Leon Trotsky was expelled from the USSR ...

(LO) *

(NPA) * Parti Ouvrier Indépendant (POI) * Parti Communiste Révolutionnaire (PCR)

Anarchism

(FA) *

Union Communiste Libertaire The ''Union communiste libertaire'' (UCL, ) is a French platformist federation, established in 2019 from the merging of Alternative Libertaire and the Coordination of Anarchist Groups. In addition to revolutionary struggle, they engage in social a ...

(UCL) *

Confédération Nationale du Travail The National Confederation of Labour (; CNT) is a French trade union centre. Established in 1946 as an anarcho-syndicalist alternative to the main trade union centre, the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), it brought together tens of thou ...

(CNT)

Maoism

* (PCMLF)

Current challenges and prospects

The far-left in France faces challenges such as internal fragmentation, declining membership, and competition from other left-wing movements like

La France Insoumise La France Insoumise (LFI or FI; , ) is a left-wing political party in France. It was launched in 2016 by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, then a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and former co-president of the Left Party (PG). It aims to implement th ...

. However, its influence remains significant in social movements, labor strikes, and grassroots activism. As global issues like climate change and inequality persist, the far-left continues to adapt its strategies to address contemporary challenges."The Future of the Far-Left," in ''French Political Studies Quarterly,'' 2023.

References

Works cited

* * {{refend *