[12] In 1971, the Radical Party split into two factions, one centrist and the other favorable to a union with the left; from then on, the latter group sat with the socialists in the National Assembly, the lower chamber.

[2] Similarly, the "administrative formation of radicals of the left" (formation administrative des radicaux de gauche) which existed in the Senate from 1977 to 1986 was attached not to the socialist group but to the Democratic Left, and initially consisted of 14 senators following the 1977 renewal.

[19] In March 1989, the Democratic Left sacrificed its historical name for the sake of the political reality of the moment, taking upon the appellation of the Democratic and European Rally group (groupe du Rassemblement démocratique et européen).

[20] The modern RDSE group is unique in the freedom of its parliamentarians in voting, as a group consisting of members both favorable and opposed to the senatorial majority, and the respect accorded to every senator in their absolute freedom to determine their own vote.

[23] The group currently consists of 16 senators,[24] with Gilbert Barbier,[25] a member of The Republicans (LR),[26] as its president since 23 May 2017.