Moderate Republicans (France, 1871–1901)
Moderate Republicans Républicains modérés | |
|---|---|
| Leader(s) | Adolphe Thiers Jules Dufaure Jules Grévy Jules Ferry Jean Casimir-Perier Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau |
| Founded | 1871 |
| Dissolved | 1901 |
| Preceded by | Moderate Republicans |
| Succeeded by | Democratic Republican Alliance |
| Ideology | Liberalism (French) Secularism (French) Republicanism (French) Civic nationalism Before 1892: Anti-clericalism After 1892: Conservative liberalism |
| Political position | Before 1892: Centre-left After 1892: Centre-right |
| Colours | Orange |
The Moderates or Moderate Republicans (French: Républicains modérés), pejoratively labeled Opportunist Republicans (Républicains opportunistes), was a French political group active in the late 19th century during the Third French Republic. The leaders of the group included Adolphe Thiers, Jules Ferry, Jules Grévy, Henri Wallon and René Waldeck-Rousseau.
Although described as centre-left, the Moderate Republicans were ideologically a centre-right political party.
During their existence, the Moderate Republicans were present in the French Parliament first under the name of Republican Left (Gauche républicaine) and after a fusion with radical republicans as the Democratic Union (Union démocratique).
They were further divided into the National Republican Association (Association nationale républicaine) and the Liberal Republican Union (Union libérale républicaine) in 1888 and 1889, respectively.
In their approach to social issues, Moderate Republicans (according to one study) ‘tended to deny the existence of a “social question”’ in France.