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 (France)|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

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