INSTITUTIONS
For a real separation of powersOur hybrid system makes
Parliament subordinate to the French President. The Parliament does not
have enough power over the budget and doesn't even have control over its
own agenda. We favour the establishment of a Presidential system that
truly separates the powers of the Parliament and the Executive, creating
a “check-and-balance” system in our democracy. We also stand for
electoral reforms. We want to see a return to the representation of
different political opinions in Parliament.
EUROPE
For a free Europe
The real victories in Europe are not economic, but rather political:
freedom of movement, the possibility to appeal to higher European courts
for people suffering from the abuse of power by the States, battles won
against totalitarianism and the establishment of a lasting peace,
restored freedom for Eastern Europe and a rebuilt, united Europe after
the fall of the Berlin Wall. A free Europe for workers, companies and
education, opening up opportunities and building wealth every day.
France has always held the European project as one of its highest
priorities. If our country seems to be more restrained in its European
commitment at the moment, this can only be because of a decline of its
own ethic rules and a constant search for a scapegoat. We would like to
propose a truly classical liberal European Constitution working towards
the politicy of freedom, capable of instilling greater faith in all
Europeans, starting with the French. We are in favour of a federal
Europe with a delegation of responsibilities among the federation,
states and regions.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Enabling freedom of choice for all
Social protection runs against the grain of common sense in our
country. Rather than have people subjecting themselves to rigid social
protection systems (health, retirement, unemployment) whose workings are
impossible to understand and results are desastrous, to say the least,
wouldn't it be better to let people choose a plan that suits their
individual circumstances? Putting insurers into free competition would
bring about better coverage, more suited to the infinite diversity of
people's expectations – and at lower cost. We would offer a choice to
the people of France. We favour the elimination of individual retirement
and insurance schemes, to be replaced by a level playing field between
employees and companies. A society that ignores those in need and leaves
them to their fate cannot claim to be a free society. An end to the
monopoly of social security would not weaken assistance to the frailest
members of our society, the handicapped, the sick, people approaching
the end of their lives, etc.
TAXATION
For simple, fair and profitable taxation
The current tax system is unfair and harms growth in our country. It
is unevenly distributed and penalises work, proving to be a burden on
productive investment. We would seek to lower tax levels and reorganise
the distribution of the tax burden on French citizens. Furthermore, we
believe it is clear that everyone should pay a minimum level of tax,
reflecting the part they play in life in general.
LIBERTES INDIVIDUELLES
Free, responsible adults
We want to guarantee the rights of the individual against arbitrary
State power, Defending our civil liberties cannot be done at the expense
of our fundamental rights, which can only lead to the risk that our own
societies resemble those that currently spread terror among their own
and other people.
We are strongly opposed to any form of affirmative action (or called
positive discrimination in UK), which we believe to be prejudicial to
civil liberties. We aim to radically combat the religious attacks on our
individual rights: forced marriages, honour crimes, and the repression
of those who turn their backs on religion.
All French people must be free to lead their own lives without State
interference, as long as their individual responsibilities are taken of
their own free will and their choices do not harm other people. We
believe the State has no business getting involved with the personal
choices of our fellow-citizens. For example, equal rights with regard to
cohabitation must be guaranteed for same-sex couples.
We are not in favour of the consumption of cannabis. However, we believe
the fact that it remains illegal first and foremost profits the big
dealers and gangs. They live lives of luxury and fund crime, while
putting the lives of their users at risk, with absolutely no regard to
health. We are therefore in favour of a controlled liberalisation of
cannabis, the prohibition of the substance for minors and putting
greater emphasis on personal responsibility for adults.
Finally, with regard to intellectual property rights, private copying is
an inalienable right, as is free access to information. New technologies
should serve freedom and not manifestly outmoded economic interests.
THE ENVIRONMENT
For full responsibility for our world
Environmental policy should not have the sole aim of setting standards
to punish polluters and restrict so-called "risky" activities. Polluters
are responsible for waste that they pump out into the environment. They
should be severely punished for this. But they are above all the ones
responsible for the prevention of ecological damage. This is why we
would enter into negotiations with the relevant parties: local people
and local companies, non-governmental organisations and environmental
risk insurers, in order to prevent damage to the environment.
It cannot be left to the State to make all the decisions in this area.
We have faith in technological progress, which will reduce the main
problems caused by pollution, and we call for further research to be
made in these matters. Finally, we believe that each one of us to take
responsibility for our own actions, in our consumption and our day-to-day
lives, which have an impact on the environment.
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 JUSTICE
From State justice to legal justice
Justice has been neglected in our democracy, when in reality it
should be the cornerstone. Less money is spent by the French government
on justice than on culture. We would like to propose real independence
for judicial power, along with a significant increase in its budget. We
demand true respect for the rights of the defendant: We want to see
strict limits imposed on preventive detention, a return to a higher
standard for prisons and the development of alternative punishments. We
believe these are fundamental issues. It is simply unthinkable that
innocent people are languishing in our prisons for months – or even
years – before being acquitted.
COMBATING CORRUPTION
In France, in the State and in companies
The level of corruption in our country is simply unbelievable. Even
at the heart of the State and in major companies, corruption has not
been eradicated – far from it. Not dealing with this peculiarly French
corruption amounts to collusion between the public sector and very
private interests. In order to restore the trust of shareholders and
employees in their companies, in order to restore the faith of the
French people in their elected representatives, in the name of democracy,
we demand the implementation of new national, European and international
measures to combat corruption.
EDUCATION
Working towards an equal opportunity for all
We would move forward with real decentralisation of schools, giving
them the freedom of self-governance and enabling them to compete against
each other in order to promote diversity and constructive improvement.
We firmly believe that school catchment areas lead to unfairness in our
education system, where only the children from wealthy families can go
to the best schools.
HOUSING
Moving towards ownership
Housing should be possible for everyone. Our definition of social
housing is accommodation that could one day be bought with a person's
own savings. We favour greater ownership potential for tenants currently
living in social housing.
A SOCIAL SAFETY NET FOR EVERYONE
A protection to release risk-taking
Liberty is just a meaningless jumble of letters if society neglects
the security of each of its members, particularly the poorest, when they
have to deal with all that life throws at them. We aim to provide a
minimum social safety net to guarantee a sum of money to all French
citizens, enabling them to live but properly. This is a key component of
our philosophy and a successful transition phase in our society, that
will enable employment law changes to become more accommodating. It will
get rid of benefits granted to very specific sections of the population
– often for political reasons. This France-shaped safety net will also
have the effect of alleviating economic risks for everybody (starting a
business, developing their own ideas, etc).
EMPLOYEMENT
Jobs "à la carte" and legal equality for workers
The old mechanisms of employment law are no longer relevant to the
aspirations of modern-day French people. The very nature of wage earners
has changed: workers nowadays are seeking greater autonomy and freedom
of choice in their way of living. We want to introduce a single
employment contract, granting more freedom to negotiate the specifics of
contracts between each employer and each employee. We want to see an end
to subsidized employment – by its very nature uncertain – and an end to
age discrimination (Delalande law, CPE, etc). We also stand for the
abolition of the separate status given to people working in the public
services. Under Alternative Libérale, new public servants will be
employed under private contracts and they will have the same rights and
obligations as all other wage earners.
UNIONS
Unions for all workers
Trade unions need to win back the support of employees – particularly
in the private sector. To do this, they need to update the way they are
managed: the monopoly of union representation that arose after the
Second World War needs to end, as well as there is a need for
transparency in their accounts – something that is not the case today.
We also have to make the unions liable in cases where striking rights
are not respected.
FOREIGN POLICY
Freedom is valued equally all over the world
Current French foreign policy is unacceptable.
The hand of friendship currently extended to the world's dictators has
to be withdrawn. We favour a foreign policy that is fully consistent
with the defence of civil liberties – just as the motto of our country
would indicate. We want to provide active support to democratic
movements. We would seek an alliance of democracies to defend civil
liberties across the globe.
IMMIGRATION
Time to give integration its chance
After forty years of immigration and with
integration failing for almost the whole
length of this period, it is time to change
our approach. High-rise ghettoes, schools
unable to deal with the problem, endemic
unemployment – all reasons for the failure
of the French melting pot. The Welfare State
and its naive schemes have failed. The will
is there but in the end all its plans have
come to nothing.
We want new arrivals to take gradual,
obligatory steps towards integration (learning
the French language, studying the history of
our country).
We believe one of the fundamental conditions
of integration is economic prosperity and
the opportunity to succeed in life for all –
including new arrivals. We would also defend
the principles of home ownership and
measures against unemployment as key
solutions to this issue.
We do not want our borders to be left wide
open for all-comers – just for people
willing to contribute to the development of
our country and our economy, thereby proving
their full integration.
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