Independent Left (France)

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The Independent Left (French: Gauche indépendante, GI) was a French parliamentary group in the Chamber of Deputies of France of the French Third Republic during the interwar period. It was not a political party but a technical group formed by independents and parties too small to form their own parliamentary group, including dissidents from the Communist, Socialist and Radical-Socialist parties, as well as left-wing regional parties and left-wing Catholics.

It provided a home to those republican independents and small parties who supported the Cartels des Gauches and the Popular Front. As such, its exact membership changed from legislature to another. It was thus similar but distinct to the right-of-centre Independents of the Left group, which gathered up the independents and small parties who in temperament were similar to the right wing of the Radical-Socialists and the centre-right Radical Left, but who refused to support the Cartel and Popular Front.

Legislature of 1932 to 1936: the Cartel des Gauches

The following parties and independents sat in as the Left Independent technical group between 1932 and 1936:

Surname Forename Political Party (if applicable)
BERON Emile Communist Party of Alsace-Lorraine
CHATENET Henri independent
CHAUVEL Georges independent
DAHLET Camille Alsatian Progressive Party
DELOM-SORBE Maurice Jeune République
DEUDON Paul independent
DOEBLÉ Victor Communist Party of Alsace-Lorraine
LA CHAMBRE Guy independent Radical
MOURER Jean-Pierre Communist Party of Alsace-Lorraine
MOUTET Georges independent Radical
PRENTOUT Richard independent Radical
RENAITOUR Jean-Michel independent Socialist Republican
SABIANI Simon independent socialist
THEBAULT Léon independent
TORRES Henry independent socialist

Legislature of 1936 to 1940: the Popular Front

The Independent Left group's most famous incarnation existed between 1936 and 1940, when the following small parties sat in it:

See also