Poujadism
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Poujadism is a far-right political ideology and movement, named after Pierre Poujade. Current British political parties which claim to be heirs to his tradition are the Populist Party (UK) and Third Way (UK).[citation needed] Margaret Thatcher was often (incorrectly) described as a Poujadist due to her beginnings as the daughter of a grocer.[citation needed]
History
[edit]
After the war[clarification needed], Poujade was the owner of a book and stationery store.[1]
On 23 July 1953, with a group of about 20 persons, Poujade prevented inspectors of the tax board from verifying the income of another shopkeeper. This was the start of a tax protest movement by shopkeepers, first in the Lot department, then in the Aveyron department, and finally the whole south of the Massif Central.[1]
On 29 November 1953, Pierre Poujade created the Union de Défense des Commerçants et Artisans (UDCA; Defense Union of Shopkeepers and Craftsmen), to organize the tax protesters. This movement would soon be called "Poujadism" (French: Poujadisme).[1] Poujadism flourished most vigorously in the last years of the Fourth Republic, and articulated the economic interests and grievances of shopkeepers and other proprietor-managers of small businesses facing economic and social change. The main themes of Poujadism concerned the defense of the common man against the elites.[1]
In addition to the protest against the income tax and the price control imposed by finance minister Antoine Pinay to limit inflation, Poujadism was opposed to industrialization, urbanization, and American-style modernization, which were perceived as a threat to the identity of rural France.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Foreign News: An Ordinary Frenchman". Time Magazine. 19 March 1956. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012.(subscription required)
- ^ Serieys, Jacques (23 July 2009). "23 juillet 1953 : Pierre Poujade lance le poujadisme sur le Lot, l'Aveyron puis la France rurale entière. Remarques sur le mouvement des commerçants et artisans". Parti de Gauche: Midi-Pyrénées, 23 July 2009. Retrieved from http://www.prs12.com/spip.php?article3648 Archived 4 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
Sources
[edit]- Collovald, Annie (2024-03-26). "From Poujade to Jean-Marie Le Pen to Marine Le Pen: a populist lineage in France?". Research Handbook on Populism. Edward Elgar Publishing. doi:10.4337/9781800379695.00018. ISBN 978-1-80037-969-5. Retrieved 2025-06-14.
- Rosenthal, Howard (1985). "Poujadism: The political economy of a flash party". European Journal of Political Economy. 1 (4): 509–537. doi:10.1016/S0176-2680(85)80003-3. Retrieved 2025-06-14.
- Shields, James G. (2000). "The Poujadist Movement: A faux 'fascism'". Modern & Contemporary France. 8 (1): 19–34. doi:10.1080/096394800113330. ISSN 0963-9489. Retrieved 2025-06-14.
- Shields, James G. (2004-01-01). "An Enigma Still: Poujadism Fifty Years On". French Politics, Culture & Society. 22 (1). doi:10.3167/153763704780996708. ISSN 1537-6370. Retrieved 2025-06-14.
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