Convention for a Progressive Alternative
Encyclopedia
The Convention for a Progressive Alternative is a French
left-wing political party founded in 1994.
It was founded by reformist Communists
(Charles Fiterman, Jean-Pierre Brard
), Socialists
, Trotskyists and others. The party supported Green
candidate Dominique Voynet
in the 1995 presidential election
.
Fiterman associated CAP to the discussions regarding the Plural Left coalition with the PS
, PCF
and the Greens
. However, the party obtained the lowest electoral results out of all Plural Left members in the French legislative election, 1997
, with Jean-Pierre Brard
as the party's only parliamentarian.
Since then, the party has declined due to an internal rivalry between the hard-left, seeking an extra-parliamentary far-left line; and reformists, seeking to transform the party in an eco-socialist party of the New Left
. As a result, numerous members left CAP to join larger left-wing parties such as the PS or Greens.
Today, Jean-Pierre Brard
is the party's only parliamentarian and the party is active only in the Val-de-Marne
and Haute-Vienne
.
In the 2009 European Parliament election
, the party will run as part of the Left Front
with the French Communist Party
and the Left Party
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
left-wing political party founded in 1994.
It was founded by reformist Communists
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French...
(Charles Fiterman, Jean-Pierre Brard
Jean-Pierre Brard
Jean-Pierre Brard, , is a French politician.-Biography:Initially a teacher, he entered politics and was elected was deputy mayor of Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis a post he held until 1984, when he was elected mayor of the same city. He remained mayor until March 2008. He has also been a deputy to...
), Socialists
Socialist Party (France)
The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...
, Trotskyists and others. The party supported Green
The Greens (France)
The Greens were a Green political party to the centre-left of the political spectrum in France. They had officially been in existence since 1984, but their spiritual roots could be traced as far back as René Dumont’s candidacy for the presidency in 1974...
candidate Dominique Voynet
Dominique Voynet
Dominique Voynet was a French senator for the département of Seine-Saint-Denis, the mayor of Montreuil and a member of The Greens.-Life:...
in the 1995 presidential election
French presidential election, 1995
Presidential elections took place in France on 23 April and 7 May 1995, to elect the fifth president of the Fifth Republic.The incumbent Socialist president, François Mitterrand, did not stand for a third term. He was 78, had cancer, and his party had lost the previous legislative election in a...
.
Fiterman associated CAP to the discussions regarding the Plural Left coalition with the PS
Socialist Party (France)
The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...
, PCF
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French...
and the Greens
The Greens (France)
The Greens were a Green political party to the centre-left of the political spectrum in France. They had officially been in existence since 1984, but their spiritual roots could be traced as far back as René Dumont’s candidacy for the presidency in 1974...
. However, the party obtained the lowest electoral results out of all Plural Left members in the French legislative election, 1997
French legislative election, 1997
French legislative election took place on 25 May and 1 June 1997 to elect the 11th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic. It was the consequence of President Jacques Chirac's decision to call the legislative election one year before the deadline....
, with Jean-Pierre Brard
Jean-Pierre Brard
Jean-Pierre Brard, , is a French politician.-Biography:Initially a teacher, he entered politics and was elected was deputy mayor of Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis a post he held until 1984, when he was elected mayor of the same city. He remained mayor until March 2008. He has also been a deputy to...
as the party's only parliamentarian.
Since then, the party has declined due to an internal rivalry between the hard-left, seeking an extra-parliamentary far-left line; and reformists, seeking to transform the party in an eco-socialist party of the New Left
New Left
The New Left was a term used mainly in the United Kingdom and United States in reference to activists, educators, agitators and others in the 1960s and 1970s who sought to implement a broad range of reforms, in contrast to earlier leftist or Marxist movements that had taken a more vanguardist...
. As a result, numerous members left CAP to join larger left-wing parties such as the PS or Greens.
Today, Jean-Pierre Brard
Jean-Pierre Brard
Jean-Pierre Brard, , is a French politician.-Biography:Initially a teacher, he entered politics and was elected was deputy mayor of Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis a post he held until 1984, when he was elected mayor of the same city. He remained mayor until March 2008. He has also been a deputy to...
is the party's only parliamentarian and the party is active only in the Val-de-Marne
Val-de-Marne
Val-de-Marne is a French department, named after the Marne River, located in the Île-de-France region. The department is situated to the southeast of the city of Paris.- Geography :...
and Haute-Vienne
Haute-Vienne
Haute-Vienne is a French department named after the Vienne River. It is one of three departments that together constitute the French region of Limousin.The chief and largest city is Limoges...
.
In the 2009 European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 2009 (France)
European elections to elect 72 French Members of the European Parliament were held on Sunday 7 June 2009.Due to the entry of Romania and Bulgaria in the European Union in 2007, the number of seats allocated to France was revised from 78 seats to 72 seats, a loss of 6 seats...
, the party will run as part of the Left Front
Left Front (France)
The Left Front is a French electoral coalition for the 2009 European elections composed primarily of the French Communist Party, the Left Party and the Unitarian Left...
with the French Communist Party
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French...
and the Left Party
Left Party (France)
The Left Party is a French democratic socialist political party. It seeks to emulate the German political party Die Linke led by Gesine Lötzsch and Klaus Ernst.- History :...
.