As a cofounder of the Socialist Party (PS) and founder of the Citizen and Republican Movement (MRC), he is a significant figure of the French left.

[2] Chevènement's idiosyncratic left-wing nationalism has led to comparison with the late British politician Peter Shore.

He disagreed with the change in economic policy made by President Mitterrand in order to stay in the European Monetary System.

[6] Appointed Minister of Defence in 1988, he served until 1991, when he resigned due to his opposition to the Gulf War.

[7] In 1993 he left the PS and founded a new political party: the Citizens' Movement (Mouvement des citoyens or MDC).

[4] For the third time, Chevènement resigned from the government in 2000 because of his opposition to giving increased autonomy to Corsica and in order to prepare his candidacy to the 2002 presidential elections.

[12] Many Socialists blamed Chevènement for the elimination of Lionel Jospin in the first round of the presidential race.

[13] Consequently, at the June 2002 legislative election, the PS invested a candidate against him in the Belfort constituency.

[13] In spite of the PS support, he failed to retake his parliamentary seat at the 2007 legislative election.

In 2004 he established the Foundation "Res Publica", which aims to promote the 'republican model' (le modèle républicain) and to define a long-term political vision.

In consequence, he is opposed to European federalism because of a possible disappearance of nations and the creation of a non-democratic construction led by non-elected technocrats.

Indeed, he has criticized the bad influence of a strong currency on other countries of Europe such as Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal.

He defends a strict separation of church and state in addition to his vision of a harmonious nation-state, being against communitarianism and for cultural assimilation.