Union for the Defense of Tradesmen and Artisans
{{Short description|French political movement (1953–1962)}}
{{Infobox political party
| name = Union for the Defense of Tradesmen & Artisans
| native_name = {{native name|fr|Union de défense des commerçants et artisans}}
| native_name_lang = fr
| logo = Epinglette de l'Union de Défense des Commerçants et des Artisans.jpg
| logo_size =
| colorcode = #704214
| leader = Pierre Poujade
| leader5_name =
| founded = 29 November 1953
| legalised =
| dissolved = 1962
| split =
| newspaper = Fraternité française
| abbreviation = UDCA
| headquarters =
| youth_wing =
| womens_wing =
| wing1_title =
| wing1 =
| wing2_title =
| wing2 =
| wing3_title =
| wing3 =
| wing4_title =
| wing4 =
| membership_year =
| membership = Up to 800,000
| ideology = Poujadism
Right-wing populism
| position = Right-wing to far-right
| european =
| europarl =
| colors = {{color box|704214|border=darkgray}} Brown
| seats1_title = National Assembly (1956)
| seats1 = {{Infobox political party/seats|52|595|hex=#704214}}
}}
File:Epinglette de l'Union de Défense des Commerçants et des Artisans.jpg
The Union for the Defense of Tradesmen and Artisans (French: Union de défense des commerçants et artisans), known as Union and French Fraternity (French: Union et fraternité française) after 1956, was a right-wing populist political party in France from 1953 to 1962, led by Pierre Poujade.
History
The Union for the Defense of Tradesmen and Artisans was founded in 1953 by Pierre Poujade as a tax protest organisation in the Lot Department in Occitania.{{cite web|title=U.D.C.A.|url=http://www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie/divers/UDCA/147895|website=Larousse|accessdate=July 7, 2016}}{{cite web|title=Union de défense des commerçants et artisans. France|url=http://data.bnf.fr/12187752/union_de_defense_des_commercants_et_artisans_france/|website=Bibliothèque nationale de France|accessdate=July 7, 2016}} It published a newspaper, Fraternité française.{{cite book|last1=Souillac|first1=Romain|title=De la défense professionnelle au populisme nationaliste (1953-1962)|date=2007|publisher=Presses de Sciences Po|location=Paris|isbn=9782724610062|pages=339–365|url=http://www.cairn.info/le-mouvement-poujade--9782724610062-page-339.htm|via=Cairn.info|url-access=registration }} It also had an anthem, written by André Montagard in 1955.{{cite book|last1=Souillac|first1=Romain|title=Le mouvement Poujade : De la défense professionnelle au populisme nationaliste (1953-1962)|date=2007|publisher=Presses de Sciences Po|location=Paris|isbn=9782724610062|pages=127–142|url=http://www.cairn.info/article.php?ID_ARTICLE=SCPO_SOUIL_2007_01_0127&DocId=392079&hits=3258+3257+|via=Cairn.info|url-access=registration }} Poujade recruited up to 800,000 members.{{cite web|title=Union for the Defense of Tradesmen and Artisans|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Union-for-the-Defense-of-Tradesmen-and-Artisans|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate=July 7, 2016}}
In the 1956 legislative election the party took 12.62% of the vote, winning 52 seats in the National Assembly, primarily from rural areas. In the assembly, the party changed its name to Union et fraternité françaises (Union and French Fraternity). One of its deputies was a young Jean-Marie Le Pen, elected for the Seine Department's 3rd electoral district. The party sat in opposition to Guy Mollet's government.
The movement promoted the repeal of taxes for small business owners. By 1958, it had become strongly opposed to Charles de Gaulle's policy of decolonisation in French Algeria. It was also opposed to the proposed European Defence Community. It supported a "new Estates General" which would restructure the political system.
It exhibited some antisemitic tendencies; its leader said that "[Prime Minister Pierre Mendès France, who was Jewish] is French only as the word added to his name".
After Charles de Gaulle re-entered the political fray in 1958, the movement largely faded from view, failing to hold its position in the 1958 legislative election. Deprived of its parliamentary representation, it dissolved in 1962 because of infighting.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Union for the Defense of Tradesmen and Artisans}}
Category:1953 establishments in France
Category:1962 disestablishments in France
Category:French nationalist parties
Category:Far-right political parties in France
Category:Right-wing populism in France
Category:Tax resistance in France
Category:French Fourth Republic
Category:History of the National Rally (France)
Category:Defunct far-right parties
Category:Defunct political parties in France
Category:Antisemitism in France
Category:Reactions to the Algerian War
Category:Anti-Arabism in France
Category:Antisemitic political parties
{{France-poli-stub}}