The UDB

The Breton Democratic Union (UDB in Breton and French) is a left-wing party, pro-autonomy and environmentalist.

Founded in 1964, the UDB advocates for an autonomous status for reunited Brittany (including the département Loire-Atlantique, the historic Nantes county). Autonomism, often confused with independentism, is the ability for a region to get decision-making means in order to govern locally and more efficiently while letting some competences to the central state.

Autonomy allows more efficiency in the public policies application and brings the government closer to the citizens for more democracy.

Regional autonomy is a reality in most European regions (Wales, Catalonia, German Länder, etc.). Deeply centralized, France is an exception by centering most powers in the Paris region, transforming regions in a dependent subcountry. The UDB wants to give Brittany a special status in the French Republic. It aims at creating checks and balances and hence at limiting the central state power so that the Breton people can live, work and decide in Brittany.

The UDB links this struggle to the left-wing and demands an economy for humans and not the contrary. The UDB thus condemns capitalism as it exploits the peoples. Participating a lot in social struggles in Brittany, the UDB activists work to preserve the public sector and to build a fairer economic system reducing inequalities, locally and globally. Progressive, the UDB supports social pogress such as same-sex marriage, child adoption right for same-sex couples and cannabis decriminalization. From the beginning, the UDB always fought discrimination, racism and xenophobia and promoted an open-minded Brittany.

Definitely involved in nature protection, the UDB is an environmentalist party opposing nuclear power, GMO and advocating for an energy revolution towards sustainable and clean means of production. The UDB asks for a reunited Brittany including the Loire-Atlantique, administratively separated without concertation since 1941. Supporting cultural and linguistic diversity, the UDB promotes languages from Brittany (Breton and Gallo) considered as endangered by the UNESCO.

The UDB is represented at the European level by the European Free Alliance, an alliance of European autonomist and independentist parties and nationwide by Régions et Peuples Solidaires, a federation of autonomist parties from France. The UDB has elected representatives: four regional councillors (Région Bretagne) in the Breizh-a-gleiz group and around a hundred municipal councillors in Breton villages, towns and cities. Since 2012, there is a representative at the National Assembly close to the UDB: Paul Molac, elected on the constituency of Ploermel (Morbihan).

The UDB is hence a Breton party open to everyone agreeing with the UDB charter, regardless on where they come from.