Free Patriotic Union

The Free Patriotic Union (French Union patriotique Libre, Arabic الاتحاد الوطني الحر, DMG al -Ittihad al - Watani al - Hurr ), also known by its French acronym UPL, is a center-right oriented political party in Tunisia.

The ideology of the party is based on economic liberalism and secularism. It situates itself in the middle of the political spectrum. The Free Patriotic Union modified its name by the expression libéral ( "liberal" ) by libre ( "free" ) replaced.

It was established on 19 May 2011, following the Tunisian revolution of January 2011 and legalized in July 2011. The UPL was founded and led by the grown up in Libya oil entrepreneurs Slim Riahi. The party spokesman is Mohsen Hassan and the Vice- president of the party is Nejib Derouiche.

The founder and promoter of the party, Slim Riahi, returned in January 2011 returned from Libya, where he had amassed a fortune with investments in the energy and real estate development. The party advocates a free market economy and a modern society and rejects Islamism.

The Free Patriotic Union was mainly known for their expensive and complex election campaign. She offered potential voters coach tours to party meetings at. Unlike other parties, the Free Patriotic Union could pay their candidates and activists. However, the party reaped the accusation, candidates and supporters 'buy' to. Even the appearance that the party mixed economic interests with political activity, the party brought in for criticism. The Free Patriotic Union came into conflict with Tunisia's election authority ISIE, as they continued her campaign from 12 to 30 September and so the ban imposed by the ISIE election campaign ignored during this period.