法國第五共和下,受到傳統上左右意識型態政策取向的明顯區隔以及兩輪多數決選舉制度的影響,法國政黨或聯盟在面對選舉時(無論是總統、國民議會或是地方自治的選舉)通常會在選前經由黨與黨的協商與談判採取形式上(投票策略之運用)或實質上(簽署聯合競選之政見或共同提名)的聯合競選策略以獲得選舉的最大利益,進而組成多數聯合政府。換句話說,不論左派陣營或右派陣營,不管是大黨或是小黨,倘若不採取聯合競選或策略投票的方式,則很難獨自贏得選舉,更無法取得執政(說小黨而言可參與聯合政府)。九○年代以來,左、右派的政黨皆經歷了許多變遷或重組,但這個策略與發展並未改變,政黨之間的結盟與重組仍成為政黨政治與選舉過程中一個常態且重要的策略及活動。
Under the French Fifth Republic, due to ideological differences, the double-ballot electoral system and the strengthening of presidential power, political parties must promote strategic alliances by signing a common declaration or proposing common candidates, in order to win elections and take power. With the multi-party system, each party regardless of right or left wing, large or small, cannot win elections and seize power without attention to voting strategy. French political parties have encountered a number of mutations and reorganizations since the 1990s, but this phenomenon has not changed and party's alliances and realignments constitute a permanent strategy and a very important undertaking.