En Marche — LLMpedia

En Marche
Renaissance · Public domain · source
Name	En Marche
Founded	2016
Founder	Emmanuel Macron
Leader	Emmanuel Macron
Headquarters	Paris
Ideology	Liberalism; pro-Europeanism
Position	Centre
International	None
European	None
Seats1 title	National Assembly
Seats2 title	Senate
Country	France

Contents

En Marche is a French political movement founded in 2016 that rapidly transformed the 2017 French presidential election and reshaped the composition of the 15th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic. Led by Emmanuel Macron, the movement allied with politicians from varied backgrounds to challenge established parties such as Les Républicains and Socialist Party (France), affecting debates around the European Union, NATO, and Schengen Area. Its emergence intersected with events including the 2015 Île-de-France attacks, the 2016 Brexit referendum, and the rise of movements like La France insoumise and National Rally (France).

History

Founded in April 2016 by Emmanuel Macron, a former official at the Inspection générale des finances (France) and Minister of the Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs (France), the movement drew supporters from circles around the Rothschild & Co investment bank, the Élysée Palace, and think tanks such as Institut Montaigne and Terra Nova (think tank). Early organizational figures included staffers from the French Ministry of Finance, former deputies from Socialist Party (France), defectors from Radical Party (France), and advisers linked to Conseil d'État (France). The campaign for the 2017 French presidential election capitalized on media coverage by outlets including Le Monde, Le Figaro, Libération, France Télévisions, and BFM TV. After Macron’s victory over Marine Le Pen of National Front in the second round, many parliamentary candidates from En Marche won seats in the 2017 French legislative election, altering group dynamics in the Assemblée nationale and prompting resignations and reconfigurations within Les Républicains and Socialist Party (France).

En Marche articulated a program emphasizing pro-European integration, market-oriented reforms, and social liberalism, engaging with policy debates tied to the Treaty of Lisbon, the Eurozone crisis, and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. Its platform addressed labor law reform influenced by precedents like the El Khomri law and referenced institutions such as the Conseil constitutionnel (France) and the Cour de cassation (France). On foreign policy it referenced alignment with United States, cooperation with Germany through the Franco-German partnership, engagement in operations like those conducted by Operation Barkhane, and positions in United Nations Security Council diplomacy. Health and education proposals invoked agencies such as Haute Autorité de Santé and reforms echoing debates in the Ministry of National Education (France). Economic policies referenced relationships with International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank, and actors in the International Chamber of Commerce.

En Marche’s structure incorporated digital platforms inspired by models used by Obama for America, the Liberal Democrats (UK), and Movimiento 5 Stelle. Local committees formed in arrondissements and départements alongside collaborations with municipal officials from Paris City Hall, Lyon City Hall, and Marseille. Membership included entrepreneurs from Station F, academics from institutions like Sciences Po, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, and alumni of École nationale d'administration, as well as former civil servants from Direction générale des Finances publiques and diplomats from the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (France). Fundraising drew on networks linked to corporate donors covered by regulators such as the Commission nationale des comptes de campagne et des financements politiques.

The movement’s breakthrough in the 2017 French presidential election culminated in the election of Emmanuel Macron and subsequent dominance in the 2017 French legislative election, where many newcomers displaced incumbents from Socialist Party (France), Radical Party (France), and Les Républicains. Performance in municipal elections saw mixed results against lists led by figures such as Anne Hidalgo, Gérard Collomb, and Michèle Rubirola. European Parliament elections tested support against lists from Renew Europe, European People's Party, and Identity and Democracy (European Parliament group), with competition from the Democratic Movement (France) and UDI. By-elections, senatorial contests in the Senate of France, and results in regional councils reflected alliances and splits involving regional parties like The Republicans of the South and figures from Occitanie and Île-de-France.

En Marche pursued contacts with centrist and liberal groups internationally, including engagement with Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party, dialogue with the Democratic Party (United States), exchanges with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany and consultation with the European Commission. Diplomatic outreach involved meetings with leaders from Canada, Italy, Spain, Greece, and delegations to forums such as the World Economic Forum and sessions of the United Nations General Assembly. The movement’s stance on multilateral institutions connected it to debates within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and discussions involving European Investment Bank priorities.

Critics compared En Marche to movements like Forza Italia and labeled it elitist, citing ties to financial circles including Rothschild & Co and media scrutiny from outlets like Mediapart and Canard enchaîné. Accusations included concerns over campaign finance reviewed by the Commission nationale des comptes de campagne et des financements politiques, staffing decisions involving former Élysée Palace aides, and controversies around rhetoric addressed by opposition figures such as Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Marine Le Pen, and François Fillon. Protests including the Yellow vests movement contested policies promoted by En Marche, while legal inquiries touched on allegations investigated by judicial bodies like the Parquet national financier and debates before the Conseil d'État (France).