Radical Party
The Radical Party is a political party in France. Officially its name is the Republican, Radical and Radical-Socialist Party (Parti républicain, radical et radical-socialiste).
Contents
History
After the Napoleonic Wars, Republicanism began to fragment. So-called Moderate Republicans participated in the monarchic system established by the July Revolution, the disorganized Radical Republicans opposed the monarchy in absolute terms.
During the Second Republic, the Radicals largely organized through the Montagne.
During the Third Republic, Republicanism again fragmented between moderates and radicals. There still was no formal party structure, which served the extremely unstable politics of the time. For example, despite winning a clear majority in the May 1898 elections, the Progressive Republicans abandoned Méline's government and supported a (short-lived) Radical government under Brisson.
Waldeck-Rousseau assembled a coalition government of Radicals and Socialists, and in the course of his term in leadership, a formal Radical-Socialist Party emerged. The Radicals who objected to formal organization became known as either Radical Left or Independent Radicals.