Soyons libres
Political party in France
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Soyons Libres (SL) (French pronunciation: [swajɔ̃ libʁ]), also called Libres, (English: Let's be free), is a French political party that was founded in 2017 by Valérie Pécresse, within The Republicans.[2]
Let's Be Free Soyons Libres | |
|---|---|
 | |
| President | Valérie Pécresse |
| Chairperson | Éric Pauget |
| Founder | Valérie Pécresse |
| Founded | 10 September 2017 |
| Split from | The Republicans |
| Headquarters | Paris |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre-right[1] |
| National affiliation | The Republicans Union of the Right and Centre (2017-2019, since 2021) |
| Colours | Blue |
| National Assembly | 1 / 577 |
| Senate | 2 / 348 |
| Website | |
| www | |
History
An offshoot of Changer c'est possible (2008) and Action Île-de-France (2011), Soyons libres was created on September 10, 2017 by Valérie Pécresse. The media launch took place at a meeting attended by some 2,000 people in Argenteuil in October 2017.[3][4] Soyons libres was recognized as a movement associated with LR by Laurent Wauquiez in January 2018, at an LR national council meeting [ref. needed].
With Soyons libres, Valérie Pécresse positioned herself as an opponent of Laurent Wauquiez within LR.[5] A proponent of a more liberal, centre-right and Europhile line,[citation needed] she denounced the party's shrinking electoral base and the existence of "two rightists that need to be reconciled" within the party.[6] Her initiative aimed to unite all the way to the centre and tackle new themes such as ecology and digital.[7]
In 2018, Pécresse supported the Philippe government on the law on student orientation and success[8] and SNCF reform.[9] However, she believed that the government is not going far enough with its reforms and declares her opposition to a rapprochement of the right and centre in both La République En Marche ! (LREM) and Rassemblement National (RN): she wanted to create a "third way", as advocated by Gérard Larcher's initiative following the 2019 European elections.
Pécresse left Les Républicains on June 5, 2019, following the poor score obtained by the Les Républicains-Les Centristes list in the European elections and before the holding of an election for the party presidency for which she was given as a possible candidate.[10][11] She cited the impossibility of forming a broader political organization, claiming that "the party is locked from the inside, in its organization and in its ideas".[12] In her wake, several people close to her left the party, including Robin Reda and Florence Portelli.[13] She is additionally joined by Thierry Meignen.[14]
