15 Axis of Action for Alternative Libérale

Our hybrid system makes Parliament subordinate to the French President. The Parliament does not have enough power over the budget and doesn't even have control over its own agenda. We favour the establishment of a Presidential system that truly separates the powers of the Parliament and the Executive, creating a “check-and-balance” system in our democracy. We also stand for electoral reforms. We want to see a return to the representation of different political opinions in Parliament.

EUROPE
For a free Europe

The real victories in Europe are not economic, but rather political: freedom of movement, the possibility to appeal to higher European courts for people suffering from the abuse of power by the States, battles won against totalitarianism and the establishment of a lasting peace, restored freedom for Eastern Europe and a rebuilt, united Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall. A free Europe for workers, companies and education, opening up opportunities and building wealth every day. France has always held the European project as one of its highest priorities. If our country seems to be more restrained in its European commitment at the moment, this can only be because of a decline of its own ethic rules and a constant search for a scapegoat. We would like to propose a truly classical liberal European Constitution working towards the politicy of freedom, capable of instilling greater faith in all Europeans, starting with the French. We are in favour of a federal Europe with a delegation of responsibilities among the federation, states and regions.

SOCIAL SECURITY
Enabling freedom of choice for all

Social protection runs against the grain of common sense in our country. Rather than have people subjecting themselves to rigid social protection systems (health, retirement, unemployment) whose workings are impossible to understand and results are desastrous, to say the least, wouldn't it be better to let people choose a plan that suits their individual circumstances? Putting insurers into free competition would bring about better coverage, more suited to the infinite diversity of people's expectations – and at lower cost. We would offer a choice to the people of France. We favour the elimination of individual retirement and insurance schemes, to be replaced by a level playing field between employees and companies. A society that ignores those in need and leaves them to their fate cannot claim to be a free society. An end to the monopoly of social security would not weaken assistance to the frailest members of our society, the handicapped, the sick, people approaching the end of their lives, etc.

TAXATION
For simple, fair and profitable taxation

The current tax system is unfair and harms growth in our country. It is unevenly distributed and penalises work, proving to be a burden on productive investment. We would seek to lower tax levels and reorganise the distribution of the tax burden on French citizens. Furthermore, we believe it is clear that everyone should pay a minimum level of tax, reflecting the part they play in life in general.

LIBERTES INDIVIDUELLES
Free, responsible adults

We want to guarantee the rights of the individual against arbitrary State power, Defending our civil liberties cannot be done at the expense of our fundamental rights, which can only lead to the risk that our own societies resemble those that currently spread terror among their own and other people.

We are strongly opposed to any form of affirmative action (or called positive discrimination in UK), which we believe to be prejudicial to civil liberties. We aim to radically combat the religious attacks on our individual rights: forced marriages, honour crimes, and the repression of those who turn their backs on religion.

All French people must be free to lead their own lives without State interference, as long as their individual responsibilities are taken of their own free will and their choices do not harm other people. We believe the State has no business getting involved with the personal choices of our fellow-citizens. For example, equal rights with regard to cohabitation must be guaranteed for same-sex couples.

We are not in favour of the consumption of cannabis. However, we believe the fact that it remains illegal first and foremost profits the big dealers and gangs. They live lives of luxury and fund crime, while putting the lives of their users at risk, with absolutely no regard to health. We are therefore in favour of a controlled liberalisation of cannabis, the prohibition of the substance for minors and putting greater emphasis on personal responsibility for adults.

Finally, with regard to intellectual property rights, private copying is an inalienable right, as is free access to information. New technologies should serve freedom and not manifestly outmoded economic interests.

THE ENVIRONMENT
For full responsibility for our world

Environmental policy should not have the sole aim of setting standards to punish polluters and restrict so-called "risky" activities. Polluters are responsible for waste that they pump out into the environment. They should be severely punished for this. But they are above all the ones responsible for the prevention of ecological damage. This is why we would enter into negotiations with the relevant parties: local people and local companies, non-governmental organisations and environmental risk insurers, in order to prevent damage to the environment.

It cannot be left to the State to make all the decisions in this area. We have faith in technological progress, which will reduce the main problems caused by pollution, and we call for further research to be made in these matters. Finally, we believe that each one of us to take responsibility for our own actions, in our consumption and our day-to-day lives, which have an impact on the environment.

JUSTICE
From State justice to legal justice

Justice has been neglected in our democracy, when in reality it should be the cornerstone. Less money is spent by the French government on justice than on culture. We would like to propose real independence for judicial power, along with a significant increase in its budget. We demand true respect for the rights of the defendant: We want to see strict limits imposed on preventive detention, a return to a higher standard for prisons and the development of alternative punishments. We believe these are fundamental issues. It is simply unthinkable that innocent people are languishing in our prisons for months – or even years – before being acquitted.

COMBATING CORRUPTION
In France, in the State and in companies

The level of corruption in our country is simply unbelievable. Even at the heart of the State and in major companies, corruption has not been eradicated – far from it. Not dealing with this peculiarly French corruption amounts to collusion between the public sector and very private interests. In order to restore the trust of shareholders and employees in their companies, in order to restore the faith of the French people in their elected representatives, in the name of democracy, we demand the implementation of new national, European and international measures to combat corruption.

EDUCATION
Working towards an equal opportunity for all

We would move forward with real decentralisation of schools, giving them the freedom of self-governance and enabling them to compete against each other in order to promote diversity and constructive improvement. We firmly believe that school catchment areas lead to unfairness in our education system, where only the children from wealthy families can go to the best schools.

HOUSING
Moving towards ownership

Housing should be possible for everyone. Our definition of social housing is accommodation that could one day be bought with a person's own savings. We favour greater ownership potential for tenants currently living in social housing.

A SOCIAL SAFETY NET FOR EVERYONE
A protection to release risk-taking

Liberty is just a meaningless jumble of letters if society neglects the security of each of its members, particularly the poorest, when they have to deal with all that life throws at them. We aim to provide a minimum social safety net to guarantee a sum of money to all French citizens, enabling them to live but properly. This is a key component of our philosophy and a successful transition phase in our society, that will enable employment law changes to become more accommodating. It will get rid of benefits granted to very specific sections of the population – often for political reasons. This France-shaped safety net will also have the effect of alleviating economic risks for everybody (starting a business, developing their own ideas, etc).

EMPLOYEMENT
Jobs "ŕ la carte" and legal equality for workers

The old mechanisms of employment law are no longer relevant to the aspirations of modern-day French people. The very nature of wage earners has changed: workers nowadays are seeking greater autonomy and freedom of choice in their way of living. We want to introduce a single employment contract, granting more freedom to negotiate the specifics of contracts between each employer and each employee. We want to see an end to subsidized employment – by its very nature uncertain – and an end to age discrimination (Delalande law, CPE, etc). We also stand for the abolition of the separate status given to people working in the public services. Under Alternative Libérale, new public servants will be employed under private contracts and they will have the same rights and obligations as all other wage earners.

UNIONS
Unions for all workers

Trade unions need to win back the support of employees – particularly in the private sector. To do this, they need to update the way they are managed: the monopoly of union representation that arose after the Second World War needs to end, as well as there is a need for transparency in their accounts – something that is not the case today. We also have to make the unions liable in cases where striking rights are not respected.

FOREIGN POLICY
Freedom is valued equally all over the world

Current French foreign policy is unacceptable.
The hand of friendship currently extended to the world's dictators has to be withdrawn. We favour a foreign policy that is fully consistent with the defence of civil liberties – just as the motto of our country would indicate. We want to provide active support to democratic movements. We would seek an alliance of democracies to defend civil liberties across the globe.

IMMIGRATION
Time to give integration its chance

After forty years of immigration and with integration failing for almost the whole length of this period, it is time to change our approach. High-rise ghettoes, schools unable to deal with the problem, endemic unemployment – all reasons for the failure of the French melting pot. The Welfare State and its naive schemes have failed. The will is there but in the end all its plans have come to nothing.

We want new arrivals to take gradual, obligatory steps towards integration (learning the French language, studying the history of our country).

We believe one of the fundamental conditions of integration is economic prosperity and the opportunity to succeed in life for all – including new arrivals. We would also defend the principles of home ownership and measures against unemployment as key solutions to this issue.

We do not want our borders to be left wide open for all-comers – just for people willing to contribute to the development of our country and our economy, thereby proving their full integration.