Summer is party time
The major political parties in France hold their summer conferences known as universités d'été.
While most people are away on holidays, the major political parties in France hold their summer conferences known as universités d'été.
Towards the end of summer, usually August or September, members of France’s biggest parties attend a series of talks, conferences and training sessions to prepare for the new year.
Traditionally, the youngest members are the main target of these campuses and the formal talks go hand in hand with lighter moments such as meals, aperitifs or sports games.
The Socialist Party (PS) has held its campus in La Rochelle for the past 17 years. (this year from August 27-29).
Last year’s party conference highlight actually came from a breakaway meeting of “democrats, Socialists and greens”, held outside the season in November.
Organiser Vincent Peillon, an ex-adviser to Ségolène Royal, left his former boss off the invitation list.
She turned up anyway and, during the resulting row, Mr Peillon uttered on TV that if she had been a man he would have hit her.
The UMP conference will take place on August 31 in the town of Pont Marly, Yvelines and will gather most members of the government.
The PCF will hold its own university on August, 27-29 in Seignosses, while Europe-écologie and Les Verts will have their journée d'été on August 19-21 in Nantes.
François Bayrou’s centrist MoDem party will meet September 24-26 on the Giens peninsula in the Var.
