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| LREM | |
|---|---|
| Name | La République En Marche! |
| Native name | La République En Marche! |
| Country | France |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Founder | Emmanuel Macron |
| Headquarters | Paris |
| Ideology | Liberalism; Pro-Europeanism |
| Position | Centre |
LREM
La République En Marche! is a centrist political movement founded in 2016 that rapidly reconfigured the French political landscape by contesting the 2017 presidential and legislative contests. Its emergence intersected with prominent figures and institutions such as Emmanuel Macron, François Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy, Marine Le Pen, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, François Bayrou, and Alain Juppé, and it engaged with electoral contexts like the 2017 French presidential election, the 2017 French legislative election, and the broader European setting exemplified by the European Union and the European Parliament. The movement's formation, programmatic choices, and governance tied it to policy arenas including relations with Angela Merkel, Theresa May, Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau, and transnational bodies such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the International Monetary Fund.
LREM originated in 2016 when Emmanuel Macron, a former official in the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs and alumni of the École nationale d'administration, launched a movement that drew support from figures associated with the Socialist Party, the Les Républicains, and civil society actors like Bernard Arnault-linked executives and Franck Riester-aligned centrists. During the 2017 French presidential election Macron defeated contenders from the National Front and the La France Insoumise coalition, and LREM secured a majority in the 2017 French legislative election, replacing long-standing majorities held by the Socialist Party (France) and the Union for a Popular Movement. Subsequent electoral cycles, including the 2019 European Parliament election in France and the 2022 French legislative election, produced shifts in parliamentary strength and alliances involving groups like MoDem, Horizons, and independent deputies. LREM's trajectory intersected with events such as the Yellow Vests movement, the COVID-19 pandemic in France, and national crises that engaged institutions like the Conseil d'État and the Constitutional Council (France).
The movement articulated a program combining pro-market reforms, social liberal measures, and pro-European integration, echoing themes debated in venues such as the Assemblée nationale, the Senate (France), and the Council of the European Union. Policy prescriptions referenced comparative models from Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States debates, and drew on influences from centrist thinkers associated with institutions like Sciences Po, the École Polytechnique, and think tanks such as Terra Nova and Fondation Jean-Jaurès. LREM advocated labor market reforms debated against the backdrop of the French Labour Code and fiscal measures scrutinized by bodies like the European Commission and rating agencies including Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's. Platform items also engaged cultural and security frameworks involving the Ministry of the Interior (France), the Minister of Justice (France), and legislation echoing precedents from the Civil Code (France).
LREM's internal structure featured national executives, local coordinators, and parliamentary groups in the Assemblée nationale and the European Parliament. Leadership included figures who served in cabinets under Emmanuel Macron, such as former ministers and deputies drawn from administrations like the Second Philippe government and the Borne government. The movement worked alongside allied parties such as MoDem and contested control with emergent groups like Renaissance (French political party). Organizational issues touched on registration with the Commission nationale des comptes de campagne et des financements politiques and internal nomination processes influenced by political operatives linked to campaigns seen in the 2017 presidential campaign and the 2022 presidential campaign.
Electoral results spanned presidential, legislative, municipal, regional, and European levels. The breakthrough in the 2017 French presidential election and the 2017 French legislative election contrasted with mixed outcomes in the 2019 European Parliament election in France, the 2020 French municipal elections, and the 2022 French legislative election, where alliances with Horizons and MoDem were decisive. Vote shares and seat counts were analyzed in reports by institutions such as the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies and media outlets like Le Monde, Le Figaro, Libération, and France 24.
When in government, LREM ministers proposed reforms affecting taxation, labor, public administration, education, and healthcare, engaging ministries including the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Recovery (France), the Ministry of National Education (France), and the Ministry of Solidarity and Health (France). Legislative initiatives interfaced with codes and institutions such as the Code général des impôts, the Conseil constitutionnel, and sectoral regulators like the Autorité des marchés financiers. Internationally, policies addressed commitments within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and climate objectives under the Paris Agreement.
Critics from figures and organizations including Marine Le Pen, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, François Fillon, and commentators at outlets like Mediapart and Charlie Hebdo accused the movement of technocracy, elite capture, and handling of social protests such as the Yellow Vests movement and strikes involving unions like the Confédération générale du travail and the Confédération française démocratique du travail. Controversies involved financing scrutiny by the Commission nationale des comptes de campagne et des financements politiques, parliamentary conduct examined by the Assemblée nationale ethics committees, and legal reviews by the Cour de cassation.
LREM maintained relationships with centrist and liberal formations across Europe and beyond, interacting with groups represented in the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party, contacts at the European Commission, and leaders such as Emmanuel Macron counterparts including Angela Merkel, Matteo Renzi, Pedro Sánchez, and Mark Rutte. Diplomatic engagements included summits at the G7 and United Nations General Assembly and cooperation on multilateral initiatives with organizations like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.