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| Anarchist Federation (France) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Anarchist Federation (France) |
| Native name | Fédération Anarchiste |
| Founded | 1945 |
| Headquarters | Paris |
| Ideology | Anarchism, Libertarian Socialism, Platformism (debated) |
Anarchist Federation (France)
The Anarchist Federation (France) is a French anarchist organization founded in 1945 in the aftermath of World War II, linked to postwar libertarian networks and anti-fascist currents. It has intersected with currents represented by figures and bodies associated with Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Mikhail Bakunin, Emma Goldman, Errico Malatesta and institutions such as Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT), Solidarity (Poland), Movimiento 15-M and milieus around May 1968 events in France. The Federation has been involved in debates with groups tied to Socialisme ou Barbarie, Situationist International, Trotskyism, French Communist Party, and Syndicalisme révolutionnaire.
The Federation traces roots to wartime clandestine militants associated with Francs-Tireurs et Partisans, postwar reconstruction circles that included activists who had contact with émigré networks from Spain and Italy. Early assemblies engaged with contemporaries from Anarcho-syndicalism currents and met influences from the Spanish Revolution veterans and the International Workingmen's Association legacy. During the Algerian War period and the May 1968 events in France, members associated with the Federation intersected with activists from Groupe d'Information sur les Prisons and critics of Charles de Gaulle. In the 1970s and 1980s the Federation confronted critiques from Autonomism currents and reconfigured ties to groups such as Confédération Nationale du Travail (CNT), Libertarian Communist Federation (France), and collectives influenced by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari. More recent decades saw engagement with movements around anti-globalization protests, European Social Forum, and protests related to Gilets Jaunes.
The Federation situates itself within anarchism as interpreted through libertarian socialist traditions associated with Pierre Kropotkin, Bakunin, and later theoreticians like Noam Chomsky and Daniel Guérin. Core positions emphasize federalism, direct action, anti-authoritarianism, and anti-capitalist stances in dialogue with critiques from Marxism and debates inspired by Social Ecology (Murray Bookchin). The group has engaged with organisational theory from Nestor Makhno and disputes over Platformism with other francophone organizations such as Union Communiste Libertaire and international federations like the International of Anarchist Federations. It has articulated positions on issues raised by European Union policies, NATO interventions, and international conflicts including discussions about Yugoslav Wars and Middle Eastern crises involving Israel and Palestine.
Organizationally the Federation adopts federal structures with local sections and national congresses reminiscent of models debated in the wake of the First International and the Spanish CNT-FAI. Decision-making combines local autonomy with coordinated national platforms influenced by disputes around synthesis anarchism and platformism. The Federation interacts with labor federations such as CGT and Solidaires and coordinates with international networks including ties to Federación Anarquista Ibérica and the Iberian Anarchist Federation. Internal debates have involved tensions with clandestine and insurrectionalist currents seen in groups influenced by the legacy of Action Directe and others involved in direct clandestine operations.
Activities range from street demonstrations and participation in protests linked to the May 1968 events in France, anti-nuclear mobilizations against projects associated with EDF and Areva, squat movements influenced by solidarities with Roma people and migrants, to workplace interventions in sectors represented by SNCF and RATP strikes. Campaigns have addressed housing crises, anti-racism actions connected to responses to incidents involving Front National, environmental protests resonant with Greenpeace (France) interactions, and solidarity initiatives with international struggles like those of Zapatista Army of National Liberation and Palestinian movements. The Federation has also been present at festivals and convergence meetings tied to the European Social Forum and assisted mutual aid projects during episodes like the COVID-19 pandemic in France.
The Federation produces printed and digital publications, including a monthly newspaper and pamphlets distributed at events and bookstores associated with Éditions du Seuil and independent presses. Historically it maintained journals that engaged with debates published alongside periodicals linked to Socialisme ou Barbarie, Libération (newspaper), and anarchist reviews collaborating with figures from Le Monde Diplomatique and independent printers. The Federation uses alternative media channels, community radio stations akin to Radio Libertaire, and participates in documentary projects with filmmakers connected to Chris Marker and Jean-Luc Godard-era collectives, while maintaining archives that researchers consult at institutions like the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Relations span collaboration and rivalry with unions such as CGT and CFDT, leftist parties like the New Anticapitalist Party (NPA), libertarian collectives including CNT-France, and international anarchist federations including the International of Anarchist Federations. The Federation has allied with anti-fascist coalitions, human rights organizations like Amnesty International on specific campaigns, and municipal grassroots groups in cities such as Paris, Marseilles, and Lyon. It has also contested strategies with Trotskyist groups like Lutte Ouvrière and engaged in solidarity exchanges with syndicalist movements across Latin America and Eastern Europe.
Criticisms include disputes over organizational centralization versus autonomy raised by critics informed by Platformism debates and accusations linked to links with insurrectionary factions reminiscent of controversies involving Action Directe. Others have accused the Federation of sectarianism in interactions with broader left formations such as French Communist Party-aligned bodies, and of tactical disagreements during major mobilizations like those against labor law reforms and austerity measures advocated by administrations such as those led by François Hollande. Legal and public controversies have occasionally arisen around demonstrations where policing tactics by Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité and state responses prompted debates about civil liberties and protest strategies.
Category:Anarchist organisations in France Category:Political organisations based in France Category:Libertarian socialism