Independent Left (France)


The Independent Left 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:
SurnameForenamePolitical Party
BERONEmileCommunist Party of Alsace-Lorraine
CHATENETHenriindependent
CHAUVELGeorgesindependent
DAHLETCamilleAlsatian Progressive Party
DELOM-SORBEMauriceJeune République
DEUDONPaulindependent
DOEBLÉVictorCommunist Party of Alsace-Lorraine
LA CHAMBREGuyindependent Radical
MOURERJean-PierreCommunist Party of Alsace-Lorraine
MOUTETGeorgesindependent Radical
PRENTOUTRichardindependent Radical
RENAITOURJean-Michelindependent Socialist Republican
SABIANISimonindependent socialist
THEBAULTLéonindependent
TORRESHenryindependent socialist

Legislature of 1936 to 1940: the Popular Front">Popular Front (France)">Popular Front

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