Occitan Party

The Occitan Party (Occitan: Partit Occitan, [paɾˈtit utsiˈta], abbreviated to POC) is a left-wing regionalist political party in France. Its aims include greater autonomy for the historical region of Occitania, southern France. The Occitan Party was formed in Toulouse in 1987 through the union of different Occitanist movements (Volem Viure al Païs, Païs Nòstre etc.), of candidates to the 1986 regional elections and of various individuals.

The party described itself as an "autonomist progressive movement" and particularly focuses on local and regional politics, including grassroots protests, environmental groups, Occitan cultural circles, and trade unions. According to its program, the Occitan Party fights for "the recognition and the autonomy of the Occitanian country" and declares its active presence "in the economic struggles or against the threats to the [Occitan] territory”, "in the struggles for jobs, against touristification, against nuclear energy, for the safeguard of the natural patrimony" and "in the actions to protect the Occitanian language and identity". It actively promotes environmentalist and alter-globalization causes. The party is also described as socialist and is in an electoral alliance with the French Socialist Party, and released statements supportive of the French Communist Party.

The party's aims are:

• To set up a credible Occitanist political movement, independent of all other parties and struggling for Occitan self-government.
• To dis-alienate and raise the consciousness of the Occitan people.
• To make the Occitan question come out in the political field.