New Anticapitalist Party
Encyclopedia
The New Anticapitalist Party is a French
political party
founded in February 2009. Its name was originally intended to be temporary; a vote on the name being held at the founding congress on 6–8 February 2009, where NPA won over "Revolutionary Anticapitalist Party" (Parti anticapitaliste révolutionnaire) with 53% of the vote.
The party (9,200 members) is intended to unify the fractured movements of the French radical Left, and attract new activists drawing on the relative combined strength of far-left parties in presidential elections in 2002
, where they achieved 10.44% of the vote, and 2007
(7.07%).
The party is closely associated with Olivier Besancenot
, the main spokesman of the former strongest far left party, the Revolutionary Communist League
(LCR). In March 2011, Myriam Martin and Christine Poupin were elected the main spokespersons of the NPA.
The basic structure of the party will be the local committee, which will organize local activities. Nationally a coordinating committee will organize general policy.
Before the foundation of the party, the 450 "committees for a new party" were already involved in political activity, giving out leaflets and joining local campaigns, in particular against public service
cuts and in protest against the Israeli bombings of Gaza
.
Olivier Besancenot has said that the party will be "the left that fights, anticapitalist, internationalist
, antiracist, ecologist, feminist, opposing all forms of discrimination
". The LCR's distinctive identification with Trotskyism
will not be continued by the NPA.
The conference (6 to 8 February) will adopt three documents, after amendment - a statement of "Founding principles", a provisional rule book, and a "perspectives" document for the year ahead. Drafts of these documents have been widely circulated and discussed within the party.
The latest draft of the founding principles calls for "social revolution", but without a precise link to any particular theory of social revolution. Unlike in previous LCR documents, although feminism is very present, patriarchy theory is not mentioned. Such issues as the withdrawal of French troops from Afghanistan
, a rise in the minimum wage
, and public services are accepted by all members of the NPA.
(PS). A minority believes there is work to be done in wide alliances with antiliberal parties of the left, such as the new Party of the Left (PG). In January 2009, the NPA signed a joint declaration with several other parties of the left, calling for the building of the January 29 national strike. A minority (16%) claimed that such unity in the strike
movements means sufficient basis can be found for joint slates at the European elections
, while the majority made a sharp distinction between alliances for social movements and electoral alliances. The party received 4.98% of the vote in the European election.
Discussions were held in the course of 2009 with other parties to the left of the PS, concerning the possibility of joint slates for the regional elections in 2010
.
, a Muslim
woman wearing hijab
, became a candidate for 2010 regional elections
. Muslim supporters of the party were noted to chant slogans against islamophobia and the party's move was considered by some as "radical pragmatism".
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...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
founded in February 2009. Its name was originally intended to be temporary; a vote on the name being held at the founding congress on 6–8 February 2009, where NPA won over "Revolutionary Anticapitalist Party" (Parti anticapitaliste révolutionnaire) with 53% of the vote.
The party (9,200 members) is intended to unify the fractured movements of the French radical Left, and attract new activists drawing on the relative combined strength of far-left parties in presidential elections in 2002
French presidential election, 2002
The 2002 French presidential election consisted of a first round election on 21 April 2002, and a runoff election between the top two candidates on 5 May 2002. This presidential contest attracted a greater than usual amount of international attention because of Le Pen's unexpected appearance in...
, where they achieved 10.44% of the vote, and 2007
French presidential election, 2007
The 2007 French presidential election, the ninth of the Fifth French Republic was held to elect the successor to Jacques Chirac as president of France for a five-year term.The winner, decided on 5 and 6 May 2007, was Nicolas Sarkozy...
(7.07%).
The party is closely associated with Olivier Besancenot
Olivier Besancenot
Olivier Besancenot is a French far left political figure and trade unionist, and the founding main spokesperson of the New Anticapitalist Party from 2009 to 2011....
, the main spokesman of the former strongest far left party, the Revolutionary Communist League
Revolutionary Communist League (France)
See Revolutionary Communist League for the other Ligue communiste révolutionnaire.The Revolutionary Communist League was a French democratic revolutionary socialist political party. It was the French section of the Fourth International...
(LCR). In March 2011, Myriam Martin and Christine Poupin were elected the main spokespersons of the NPA.
Founding conference
At the founding conference (6 to 8 February 2009), 630 delegates voted on a series of documents, which had gone through a long process of amendment and re-amendment in local and regional assemblies.- The first document "Founding principles" detailed the party's analysis of the impasse of capitalism and the need for both mass mobilization, and, in the long term, the overthrowing of existing institutions.
- The second document was the provisional rulebook, which will remain in effect until the next conference.
- The third document was the Perspectives document, which attempted to set out priorities for the year ahead, and key demands to be pushed for in the immediate future.
- Finally, a document on the European elections expressed the attitude of the party towards the June European elections.
Structure
Besancenot has stated that it will have no single leader, and will instead be run collectively, and represented by spokespersons.The basic structure of the party will be the local committee, which will organize local activities. Nationally a coordinating committee will organize general policy.
Before the foundation of the party, the 450 "committees for a new party" were already involved in political activity, giving out leaflets and joining local campaigns, in particular against public service
Public services
Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly or by financing private provision of services. The term is associated with a social consensus that certain services should be available to all, regardless of income...
cuts and in protest against the Israeli bombings of Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
.
Ideals
The party's stated aim is to "build a new socialist, democratic perspective for the twenty-first century".Olivier Besancenot has said that the party will be "the left that fights, anticapitalist, internationalist
Internationalist
Internationalist may refer to:* Internationalism , a movement to increase cooperation across national borders* Internationalist, socialists opposed to World War I* The Internationalist Review, an e-journal founded in Maastricht...
, antiracist, ecologist, feminist, opposing all forms of discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
". The LCR's distinctive identification with Trotskyism
Trotskyism
Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. Trotsky considered himself an orthodox Marxist and Bolshevik-Leninist, arguing for the establishment of a vanguard party of the working-class...
will not be continued by the NPA.
The conference (6 to 8 February) will adopt three documents, after amendment - a statement of "Founding principles", a provisional rule book, and a "perspectives" document for the year ahead. Drafts of these documents have been widely circulated and discussed within the party.
The latest draft of the founding principles calls for "social revolution", but without a precise link to any particular theory of social revolution. Unlike in previous LCR documents, although feminism is very present, patriarchy theory is not mentioned. Such issues as the withdrawal of French troops from Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, a rise in the minimum wage
Minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
, and public services are accepted by all members of the NPA.
Alliances
Debate continues within the NPA about what sort of alliances with other groups are acceptable. The majority of militants emphasize the dangers of allying with forces which are likely to end up in joint local or national governments with the Socialist PartySocialist 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...
(PS). A minority believes there is work to be done in wide alliances with antiliberal parties of the left, such as the new Party of the Left (PG). In January 2009, the NPA signed a joint declaration with several other parties of the left, calling for the building of the January 29 national strike. A minority (16%) claimed that such unity in the strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
movements means sufficient basis can be found for joint slates at the European 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...
, while the majority made a sharp distinction between alliances for social movements and electoral alliances. The party received 4.98% of the vote in the European election.
Discussions were held in the course of 2009 with other parties to the left of the PS, concerning the possibility of joint slates for the regional elections in 2010
French regional elections, 2010
Regional elections were held in France on 14 and 21 March 2010. At stake were the presidencies of each of France's 26 régions, which, though they do not have legislative autonomy, manage sizable budgets....
.
Controversy
New Anticapitalist Party became the target of criticism after Ilham MoussaïdIlham Moussaïd
Ilham Moussaïd is a French politician.She is a candidate of the New Anticapitalist Party in Avignon. Her candidacy caused controversy due to her wearing of hijab and the ongoing debate regarding the veil...
, a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
woman wearing hijab
Hijab
The word "hijab" or "'" refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general....
, became a candidate for 2010 regional elections
French regional elections, 2010
Regional elections were held in France on 14 and 21 March 2010. At stake were the presidencies of each of France's 26 régions, which, though they do not have legislative autonomy, manage sizable budgets....
. Muslim supporters of the party were noted to chant slogans against islamophobia and the party's move was considered by some as "radical pragmatism".
Sources
- "Le Nouveau parti anticapitaliste d'Olivier Besancenot est lancé", Agence France-PresseAgence France-PresseAgence France-Presse is a French news agency, the oldest one in the world, and one of the three largest with Associated Press and Reuters. It is also the largest French news agency. Currently, its CEO is Emmanuel Hoog and its news director Philippe Massonnet...
, June 29, 2008 - "'Le Nouveau Parti anticapitaliste ne doit pas être une LCR relookée'", Le MondeLe MondeLe Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
, June 30, 2008 - "Le Nouveau parti anticapitaliste, c'est parti", Radio France InternationaleRadio France InternationaleRadio France Internationale was created in 1975 as part of Radio France by the Government of France, and replaced the Poste Colonial , Paris Mondial , Radio Paris , RTF Radio Paris and ORTF Radio Paris...
, June 30, 2008 - Interview (in English) of one activist by the Daily Maybe
- Ongoing coverage on the NPA in LINKS (in English)