Libertas France
Encyclopedia
Libertas France is the name given to the activities of Declan Ganley
's Libertas Party in France
. Unlike Libertas in other countries, Libertas France was not a political party in its own right. Instead, candidates from Mouvement pour la France
(MPF) and Chasse, Pêche, Nature et Traditions (CPNT) contended the 2009 European Parliament elections in France
under common lists branded with the Libertas identity. The candidates retained their membership of their national parties and the national parties retained their legal identity.
, the party of Philippe de Villiers
and Paul-Marie Couteaux
, would rename itself to Libertas for the 2009 elections. Later, the position was clarified: candidates would retain their national party membership but would run for election under Libertas lists, in a manner analogous to existing Europarties. Ganley held a press conference on 11 March 2009 in which members of MPF and CPNT announced their intentions to stand under Libertas lists in French constituencies in the 2009 European Parliament elections
. Jérôme Rivière
was named as the campaign director of Libertas France. During the press conference, Villiers (MPF) and Frédéric Nihous
(CPNT) laid out the issues on which they would campaign: anti-Lisbon Treaty
, pro-Fortress Europe
, (périmètre de l’Europe) and anti-Turkish accession to the EU
.
The affiliation of MPF to Libertas was not unanimously supported: 32 federation presidents signed a motion of no confidence against Philippe de Villiers. Paul-Marie Coûteaux
, the existing MPF MEP for Île-de-France
who had been dropped as head of the list in favor of Jérôme Rivière, also voiced his disapproval.
Declan Ganley
Declan James Ganley is a British-born Irish citizen, entrepreneur, businessman and political activist. He is founder and chairman of a political party, Libertas with pan-European ambitions...
's Libertas Party in France
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...
. Unlike Libertas in other countries, Libertas France was not a political party in its own right. Instead, candidates from Mouvement pour la France
Movement for France
The Movement for France , abbreviated to MPF, is a French conservative and eurosceptic political party, founded on 20 November 1994, with a marked regional stronghold in the Vendée. It is led by Philippe de Villiers, once communications minister under Jacques Chirac.The party is considered...
(MPF) and Chasse, Pêche, Nature et Traditions (CPNT) contended the 2009 European Parliament elections in France
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...
under common lists branded with the Libertas identity. The candidates retained their membership of their national parties and the national parties retained their legal identity.
Formation
On 12 February 2009, European Voice reported that Mouvement pour la FranceMovement for France
The Movement for France , abbreviated to MPF, is a French conservative and eurosceptic political party, founded on 20 November 1994, with a marked regional stronghold in the Vendée. It is led by Philippe de Villiers, once communications minister under Jacques Chirac.The party is considered...
, the party of Philippe de Villiers
Philippe de Villiers
Viscount Philippe Le Jolis de Villiers de Saintignon, known as Philippe de Villiers, born on 25 March 1949, is a French politician. He was the Mouvement pour la France nominee for the French presidential election of 2007. He received 2.23% of the vote, putting him in sixth place. As only the top...
and Paul-Marie Couteaux
Paul-Marie Coûteaux
Paul-Marie Coûteaux is the son of André Couteaux and a French politician, writer, and former Member of the European Parliament for Ile-de-France with the Mouvement pour la France, Member of the Bureau of the Independence and Democracy and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign...
, would rename itself to Libertas for the 2009 elections. Later, the position was clarified: candidates would retain their national party membership but would run for election under Libertas lists, in a manner analogous to existing Europarties. Ganley held a press conference on 11 March 2009 in which members of MPF and CPNT announced their intentions to stand under Libertas lists in French constituencies in the 2009 European Parliament elections
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...
. Jérôme Rivière
Jérôme Rivière
Jérôme Rivière is a French politician. and now lawyer member of the Paris Bar Association since 2006...
was named as the campaign director of Libertas France. During the press conference, Villiers (MPF) and Frédéric Nihous
Frédéric Nihous
Frédéric Nihous is a French politician from the Hunting, Fishing, Nature, Traditions party. He was a candidate for the 2007 French presidential election, but was eliminated in the first round of balloting...
(CPNT) laid out the issues on which they would campaign: anti-Lisbon Treaty
Treaty of Lisbon
The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon on 13 February 1668, through the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized the sovereignty of Portugal's new ruling dynasty, the House of Braganza....
, pro-Fortress Europe
Fortress Europe
Fortress Europe was a military propaganda term from the Second World War which referred to the areas of Continental Europe occupied by Nazi Germany, as opposed to the free United Kingdom across the Channel...
, (périmètre de l’Europe) and anti-Turkish accession to the EU
Accession of Turkey to the European Union
Turkey's application to accede to the European Union was made on 14 April 1987. Turkey has been an associate member of the European Union and its predecessors since 1963...
.
The affiliation of MPF to Libertas was not unanimously supported: 32 federation presidents signed a motion of no confidence against Philippe de Villiers. Paul-Marie Coûteaux
Paul-Marie Coûteaux
Paul-Marie Coûteaux is the son of André Couteaux and a French politician, writer, and former Member of the European Parliament for Ile-de-France with the Mouvement pour la France, Member of the Bureau of the Independence and Democracy and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign...
, the existing MPF MEP for Île-de-France
Île-de-France (European Parliament constituency)
In European elections, Île-de-France is a constituency of the European Parliament. It consists of the region of Île-de-France.-2009:-2004:Brackets indicate the number of votes per seat won....
who had been dropped as head of the list in favor of Jérôme Rivière, also voiced his disapproval.
Issues
On 12 March 2009, Philippe de Villiers and Frédéric Nihous gave a joint statement. They objected to a France-supported draft January 27 European Union regulation on oenological practices that allowed the blending of white wine and red wine to produce rosé wine.See also
- Jens-Peter BondeJens-Peter BondeJens-Peter Rossen Bonde is a former Member of the European Parliament with the June Movement. He resigned as an MEP in May 2008. Bonde was elected to the European Parliament in the first election in 1979 with the People's Movement against the EU. He has been re-elected 6 times consecutively...
- Declan GanleyDeclan GanleyDeclan James Ganley is a British-born Irish citizen, entrepreneur, businessman and political activist. He is founder and chairman of a political party, Libertas with pan-European ambitions...
- European Parliament election, 2009European Parliament election, 2009Elections to the European Parliament were held in the 27 member states of the European Union between 4 and 7 June 2009. A total of 736 Members of the European Parliament were elected to represent some 500 million Europeans, making these the biggest trans-national elections in history...
- Treaty of LisbonTreaty of LisbonThe Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon on 13 February 1668, through the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized the sovereignty of Portugal's new ruling dynasty, the House of Braganza....