| Description | The Union des forces progressistes (UFP) was a left wing political party in Quebec, Canada from 2002-2006. Four leftist parties merged to form the UFP in 2002 out of desire to unite Quebec's left:
-the Rassemblement pour l'alternative progressiste (RAP),
-the Parti de la démocratie socialiste (PDS, formerly the Quebec wing of the New Democratic Party),
-the Parti communiste du Québec (PCQ), and
-the Quebec-based membership of the International Socialists.
In February 2006, UFP merged with Option citoyenne to form the new political party Québec Solidaire.
The aim of the UFP was to bring together progressive forces across the broad left wing of the political spectrum, including social democrats, socialists and communists. The UFP also advocated altermondialism, feminism, pacifism and environmentalism. Its platform does not specifically endorse social democracy, socialism or communism.
Quebec's Green Party, the Parti vert du Québec, pledged to try to avoid running candidates in ridings where there is a UFP candidate, although it reserves the right to run anywhere it wants to (even ridings with a UFP candidate), and did not merge with the UFP.
The UFP presented itself as an alternative to the main three parties in Quebec: the center-left Parti Québécois, the center-right Parti libéral du Québec, and the conservative Action démocratique du Québec/Equipe Mario Dumont, saying that all three are but different faces of the same right-wing ideology called neoliberalism.
The UFP opposed globalization, privatization, and deregulation, and called for increased funding of social services, higher taxes on the rich and business, proportional representation in Quebec's National Assembly, and an alternative economy based upon co-operatives and non-profit organizations.
The UFP supported Quebec sovereignty. It considered this option not as an end in itself, but rather as a means to achieve the party's social ideal for the people of Quebec. To solve the national question, the UFP suggested the creation of a Constituent Assembly, mandated to draw up and propose to the population, via referendum, a Constitution for a progressive, republican, secular and democratic Québec.
The UFP was led by a council instead of a single leader. The UFP promised to be a party of the ballot box and of the streets, meaning that it would work to increase awareness of social problems and for progressive social change even between elections, particularly with regards to the rights of workers and of the unemployed.
Considering its modest results in the 2003 elections (1.06% of the votes or 1.50% if Parti Vert du Québec's votes are included), the UFP was a marginal party.
On November 5 2005, delegates of the UFP voted unanimously in favor of a merger with the party of the Option citoyenne movement led by Françoise David. The founding congress of the new party was held in early February 2006 and has resulted in the formation of a new party, Québec Solidaire. |
