Poujadism
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). Margaret Thatcher was often (incorrectly) described as a Poujadist due to her beginnings as the daughter of a grocer.
History
After the war, 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
- ^ 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
- 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. pp. 106–116. 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.