Young Radicals

The movement of the Jeunes Radicals gathers the young members (18 - 30 years) of the Radical party valoisien, political party currently associated with the UMP.

Birth of the Young Radicals

Radical the Jeunes term appears for the first time in 1910, and seems to be launched by Marc Sangnier, young pioneer of the Christian Democrat. It uses this expression to designate the partisans of the policy known as of appeasing carried out by Aristide Briand, appealing contrary " Radicaux" old man; its adversaries " combistes" (anticlericals = of shock). But very quickly, the radical young label will be reserved for two groups distinct from militants and publicity agents. Of these two currents, only the first will justify the name of " Radicaux" young people; : it is about a group of young intellectuals, of which the normalien Yvon Delbos, gathered in the weekly magazine human rights, and dominated by the personality of Paul Hyacinthe Loyson. They will end indeed up joining the Radical party born earlier a few years (1901), whereas the first group, of the " young briandists of gauche" dominated by Etienne Antonelli and Leon Vannoz (former member of the Party), will deviate some, nauseated by the rise of the " profiteurs". The judgment of Loyson on the Radical party is however without concession: it is according to him a party without internal democracy, “a dozen large Lamas, more inaccessible for us than those of Tibet, make with their liking (…) our happiness or our misfortune”. They will finish nevertheless by " convertir" and by entering to the Party, encouraged by some personalities like Fernand Bush or Edouard Herriot.

The Young Radicals will be strongly pointed out. Their head of prow is of course the young person Pierre Mendès France (PMF). It adhered to the Radical party, allures in 1923 by Herriot at the time of a meeting to Reciprocity, and attracted by the topics of social justice, international safety, etc Bachelier at 15 years, doctor in right to 21 years while following courses in parallel to Sciences Po, freemason at 22 years, it is one of the founders in 1924 of the Ligue of republican and socialist university action (LAURS), of which he will become president four years later. He is elected appointed of Louviers (Normandy) at 25 years, then mayor of this same city at 28 years (1935), and finally general adviser of the Eure at 30 years. A career thus fulgurating… It is him which will carry out the famous " Turcs" young people; , still called " Radicaux" young people; or " Young radicales" teams; , in the fringe on the left of the Party. Among them, we find also Gaston Monnerville (future president of the Senate), Jacques Kayser, Gaston Bergery, Jean Zay (young Minister for state education under the Popular front), Pierre Cot, Jean Moulin (principal private secretary of Pierre Cot during one moment), Emile Roche and others, all promised with brilliant future. All are not inevitably " jeunes" (1900s generation), but all want to make revive radicalism. In 1934, PMF signs with Pierre Cot and Jean Zay the address of the Young Radicals to the country républicain" who denounces the mistakes of the Radical party and the rise of the danger of the extreme right-hand side… He does not hesitate either to attack Herriot, president of the Party, with the congress of the Party of Clermont-Ferrand (May 1934), supports Edouard Daladier as well as the strategy of the Popular front (1936) of alliance with the Socialists. Nevertheless, if the movement were composed of brilliant personalities, one cannot say that its audience was particularly significant: it indeed stopped with the intellectual and political circles capital.

The shortly after the Second world war, radicalism is given for died and essuie of cuisants electoral failures. Nevertheless, also paradoxical that is it, it is at this time even as the old party attracts with him resistant young people often resulting from the high public office and interested by a political career: Maurice Bourges-Maunory, Michel Debré, Jacques Chaban-Delmas or Strong Felix, all the “young wolves” which will make brilliant careers without forget their radical origins. Later, the arrival of PMF to the presidency of the Party (1955) involves a large wave of adhesions. The surge of the young people explains besides the creation of the `Radical Jeunesses': “There were young mendesists and it is well the only time of the history of radicalism where the Young Radicals were really numerous” (Jean Touchard).

After the resignation of PMF of the party, in 1957, and the arrival of the de Gaulle General to the capacity in 1958, years 1960 are for the Radical party of the black years, and it will be necessary to await the arrival of Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber (JJSS), a former young person mendesist, with the presidency of the Party in 1969 to re-examine an surge of young people. It is nevertheless also the time of the scission with the radical lefts (1973), and of the creation of UDF (1978). JJSS, transitory Minister for the reforms of VGE, end however up withdrawing Party in its turn, in 1979, refusing to join the UDF list with the European elections. Finally, only one thing will leave good of the period of the Seventies: the creation of the LYMEC (European Federation of liberal and radical youths) in 1976, which integrated at the time JR and JRG.

Recent history

Rebirth of the " Young people radicaux" in the years 80-90

The recent history of the movement is more known. After the bad patch of the Radical party of the years 1980, leaving the top of the paving stone with the MRG, the members of the Radical party try to organize a movement young people, which encounters a certain in-house mistrust. In September 1988 is created in Nancy, on the initiative of Laurent Hénart (youngest child of the Raffarin government, become again appointed), the `Running of Radical Youth'. The movement covers all half of France, while remaining completely independent of the Radical party. In 1988 also, the Radical party Valoisien creates its own movement of young people, MAJOR (Autonomous Movement of the Young Radicals). It will be necessary to wait December 1991 so that a process of fusion of the two movements starts, under the patronage of Yves Galland. And on April 10th, 1992, the unification occurs with the birth of the movement " The Radicaux" Young people; , from now on only official movement of young people of the Party. The congress of LYMEC of 1992 is organized besides in Paris, and two years later (1994), a young Radical left is even elected president of the LYMEC (Jean-Bernard Ruggieri).

Presidencies of Laurent Hénart and Pascal Louap (1994 - 2002)

Laurent Hénart, then president of the federation of Lorraine, will consolidate the movement during its presidency (1994-1998), before Pascal Louap, then president of the federation of Ile-de-France, do not seize the presidency in his turn in June 1998, giving to the movement a new dash but the electoral deadlines of 1997 left it bloodless.

Presidency of Carole Stromboni and the suspension of the movement (2003 - 2005)

When at the end of January 2003, Carole Stromboni, former president of the federation of Paris, is elected with the national presidency, the movement is badly in point, following the departure of UDF and with its internal difficulties. Shouldered by an instigated office, Carole Stromboni gives the movement on foot while proceeding to an important reorganization: new Internet site, new logo, new slogan (“With the Roots of the Republic”), new statutes, recasting of the program of the movement, matric reorganization of association, reactivation of the international bonds (LYMEC), etc

Its team is suspended on the beginning of the year 2005, and a standby issued for one year… putting forward the difficulties of management of an independent movement of young people.

The contribution of the Young Radicals to the Radical Project (controlled by the senator-mayor of Saint-Etienne Michel THIOLLIERE) starts at the end of the mandate of the National office chaired by Carole STROMBONI. Indeed, on the 11 poles of reflection of the Project, 4 are directed by Young Radicals.

As for the Federations of the Young Radicals, they are then confused with the regional eurocirconscriptions (example: the North-western eurocirconscription, covering the ten departments of the areas Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Picardy, High-Normandy and Basse-Normandie, is the Normandy-Flanders Federation).

The recasting around the presidency of Annabelle Ferry and Arnaud Murgia (2006 - 2007)

Since a new team at summer elected in January 2006 with the head of the Young Radicals, maintaining completely attached to the Radical party, Annabelle Ferry and Arnaud Murgia Copresidents of the movement. To note under their mandate:

The creation of departmental federations of young people in place of the regional federations.

The contribution of the Young Radicals to the project of the radical party.

Presidency of Annabelle Ferry (2007 -…)

In November 2007, the single list of Annabelle Ferry is elected, carrying the latter with the head of the movement.

External bonds

Site of the Young Radicals
Site of the Radical party

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