The political establishment is failing us...
France is a great country in a bad shape: endemic unemployment, urban
violence, stagnation in buying power, widening deficits, impossible
reforms, a marginalised position on the European and international scene.
Paralysed by doubt, with political apathy the most attractive course of
action for too many, French society is falling deeper into crisis and is
in denial over what is really at stake.
In
modern-day France, anybody who falls off the career ladder is sentenced
to years in the job wilderness, with welfare money as her/his only means
of survival. Entrepreneurial spirit is discouraged, and yet support for
the most disadvantaged in our society has morphed into a kind of state
organized charity, leading to chronicle apathy. Work is no longer seen
as a mutually beneficial form of production, a means for personal
achievement, but rather as a tiny scrap of privilege that must be
protected at any cost.
Political action is faltering. Weakened by too many hollow debates,
the very idea of reform has been rendered suspect. The political elite –
statist followers of former President Mitterand or confused Chirac
supporters – can no longer offer any hope. With a paucity of results and
a failure to uphold their promises, they have lost all credibility with
the electorate. The success of the extremist parties at the ballot box
is a perfect example of how a raft of thousands of laws, rulings and
decrees cannot compensate for the absence of a political ideal.
Overwhelmed by worries, the French society, shocked and in a state of
fear, hiding behind the closed doors of a resurgent and xenophobic
nationalism, seeks refuge in outdated solutions, leading to accusations
against its traditional scapegoats. Rejecting the economic reality of a
globalised world, the French people are letting the problems of public
deficit pass them by, placing their children's future at risk. Always
ready to spin a lie, the French corporate establishment favour
isolationism, promising a modern-day Maginot line to defend us against a
world which would in reality bring us a wealth of opportunities.
If we are to regain some optimism, confidence and a willingness to
face the future, if we want to win back our place among democratic
nations, if we want to build a France and a world in which our children
can flourish, we need to make a new kind of society possible.
L'alternative libérale
We call this desire for change an Alternative Libérale...a
Classical Liberal Alternative – an idea of a society based on freedom of
choice for each and every one of us, leading to prosperity for all. It
means choosing a France that trusts its citizens, that believes in its
future and flies the flag of liberty – the ideal that lies at the heart
of its heritage.
We want something better than a hierarchical society overseen by
dogmatic bureaucrats and an archaic corporate establishment. We want a
society where individuals organise their lives as they see fit, where
they can make their own choices and take on their own responsibilities.
Tired of the bad old ways and the hollow solidarity imposed by a fully
centralised, worn out State. The people need to take back the initiative
in all areas of their lives.
Our values are timeless. They are the values of democracy, liberty,
individual responsibility and equality for all in the face of government.
Standard bearers for ethical liberalism, rejecting utilitarianism,
conservatism and social democrat inertia, we represent the new classical
liberal generation.
We are tired of all the partisan squabbling and so-called political
arrangements. We want everyone who truly loves freedom and civil rights
to join together in political action. We want to see our way of thinking
---a philosophy of freedom and individual achievement, where everybody
wins---regain its right place in the political debate, a place it should
have never left.
The member of Alternative Libérale are
committed
to defending our political priorities:
A renewed democracy
In order to instil interest in politics and trust in government among
our compatriots, we are seeking deep-seated reforms at country level: we
need to re-establish check-and-balance principles and the separation of
powers in our institutions.
We want to see a truly representative parliament that fully exercises
its legislative power and acts as an effective balance against the
executive branch. We want full time parliamentary elected
representatives, free to set their own agenda, free to control the
country's budget, free to debate all public issues – including defence
and foreign policy. We want France to abandon its hybrid and inefficient
bi-polar executive, abolish the role of the Prime Minister and
“presidentialize” the regime.
To make the judicial branch a true third pillar of governement, we
want to enshrine its independence and grant it a budget suitable for
such a role. We want to see justice done within a reasonable timescale.
We want the law to be fair and to be seen as such by all our citizens.
In order to re-establish the legitimacy of associations, unions and
political parties, we would seek to reform both their funding and the
way they operate. We do not believe that the State has the right to
decide which organisations are representative of the public interest or
common good for any given issue or group.
Finally, governments must be subject to an efficient anti-corruption
control 
system.
No confusion between public and private interests may be tolerated. Any
proven corruption in elected representatives or high-level civil
servants must be severely punished and the guilty parties thrown out of
office.
A free Society
Democracy is only worth something if it offers to all citizens the
freedom and possibility to build their own lives, make their own choices
and take their own responsibilities.
It should be the business of the legislators to widen the scope of
liberty wherever possible and not to restrict it. We also want to
recover individual and collective freedoms that have been worn away by
decades of liberticidal legislation.
We want everyone to be able to make real choices in education,
healthcare, pensions and unemployment benefit. We want no State control
over what people think and over how they express themselves. We want
everybody to be able to behave exactly as they wish as long as they
respect the rights of others.
The organization of work and of the workforce should also respect the
choices of the individual. We believe in the benefits of a contract and
association to enable a revolution in flexible working hours and multi-tasking.
We are well aware that new technology raises the possibility of new
organisational structures: used wisely, they can bring a new sense of
freedom to workers.
Finally, freedom of speech and individual initiative must be
protected and respected – they are the basis for individual success and
the satisfaction of others. There are, in fact, the backbone of
democracy.
A return to justice
A just society cannot exist without equal rights. We will fiercely
move to free the people from the dictatorship of special interests.
To make laws applicable, they require clarity and regular review.
Justice is not the sole preserve of the law. Although equal
opportunities and the elimination of poverty cannot be decreed by law,
they are still ideals to be attained. Academic and professional setbacks
should not result in long-lasting exclusion. We want to see a society
that can accept risk and offer everyone another chance.
Because property is a basic right that cannot be limited without
repercussions, and because everyone has the right to enjoy the fruits of
their labour and remain in control of their lives, we advocate radical
reforms in our tax system, which as it stands is too complicated and
burdensome to be fair.
An equal level of security, due process of law and equal protection
of the laws should be guaranteed for all, strictly respecting the
presumption of innocence.
Finally, because there can never be true justice without the right of
appeal, which is our only insurance against arbitrary power, we demand a
review of administrative procedures.
Increased prosperity
It
is more than time to dispell misconceptions about how market forces work.
A prosperous economy is the basis of all economic ambitions. There can
be no wealth to share if none is produced in the first place.
We want a dynamic economy that creates the opportunities needed for
people to get back on the job ladder. We want to see strong growth, to
give our country the means necessary to combat the poverty that is
eating away at our social fabric. We want to see a working population,
where people's resources and talents are no longer wasted.
To reach these objectives, we will seek to encourage economic
initiatives and the creation of wealth. We want to put an end to
government monopolies, subsidies and protectionism of all kinds, which
only serve to hamper business and distort competition. We want to
streamline public spending to help future generations. We want to
overhaul the tax system, reform labour law, and use all our strengh and
energy to gear the legal and financial environment towards free-trade.
Finally, because we will never be able to build a prosperous Europe
in a miserably poor world, we need to support the development of poor
countries – an issue that grows ever more urgent. We would seek reforms
to public aid, a great deal of which is diverted away from those who
need it most, and an end to export subsidies for our products that are
ravaging the poor countries' economies.
Making each person responsible for their own actions and the
principle of the free contract will enable us to build a world where
liberty and progress serve future generations and preserve their
environment.
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