There are concepts that are more than assimilated in society and one of them is that of political right and left, many use it, but few know that its origin is found in the French Revolution. Many concepts and political elements emerged from the French Revolution, such as universal suffrage or the concept of 'nation-state'. However, few know that the terminology used for more than a century to describe the two main political positions, liberal (left) or conservative (right), has its origins in this revolution. You want to know more? Discover here the origin and meaning of the political right and left. 

It all started with some chairs and it may be curious that the simple placement of some chairs years ago ended up being a political symbol worldwide. It seems too simple, but it was the beginning of a concept that has been internalized in society and that lasts generation after generation. 

The Assembly chairs, the origin of the right and the left. 

The Assembly was what we could understand today as the Congress of Deputies and the placement of its chairs became essential to know the positioning of each participant. The political party system at that time was very different from what we know today. Others were used systems so that participants could defend their political position. 

There was three groups defined in the Assembly and were differentiated according to the placement of the chairs. They separated in this way: 

• Right: To the right of the president of the Assembly were those who defended the absolute veto of the monarch. They were in favor of the monarchy and that the king had the power to veto or override the decisions of the Assembly by his power. This group included figures from the Nobility, convinced absolutists and the clergy, closely linked to the monarchy. What today could correspond to VOX in Spain or Fratelli d'Italia, two political projects with reasonable similarities 

• Left: To the left of the president were those who They defended the sovereignty of the people. They were in favor of a new constitution and against royalty being able to annul or suspend decisions made in the Assembly. As you can see, the Republicans have changed little in these years of the French Revolution.
  
• Neutrals: There was also room for the most undecided or moderate and they were placed in the center of the Assembly. They did not have a defined opinion regarding the role of the King and therefore, they preferred not to take a position. A bit like Citizens which ended up costing him the political debacle...

How did the political right and left materialize?

This materialized in August 1789, in the room of the Constituent Assembly, where the the vote on the power that Louis XVI should have. A whole debate broke out in the room where followers of the Crown and revolutionaries who did not want the monarchy to have power in the decisions of the people coexisted. Legend has it that the debate was so heated, that The participants chose to locate themselves according to positioning, to be able to create groups according to their political affinities. As the saying goes, “Each owl to its own olive tree.” 

Those who wanted to contain the Revolution and maintain the monarchy occupied the seats on the right. Those who had the opposite version chose to position themselves in the chairs on the left. Those who were more neutral or undecided opted for a more moderate position during the debate. It was a simple symbol at the time, but It would end up representing a before and after in the Revolution and in political terminologies. 

It should be said that in the case of the most progressive in the room, that is, those who sat on the left, they wanted to ensure that the king only had a suspensive veto. What does it mean? The King would have the power to suspend the process of a proposed law if he did not agree with it. However, you could only suspend it for a certain time and in no case could you permanently cancel or annul the proposal. They were looking end the absolute power that the monarchy had had until then. 

It was a day that would mark the Revolution and also politics, according to data from the French Senate, the left would win with 637 votes compared to the 327 that those on the right added in the assembly. Proof of how the monarchy was beginning to be buried in France. 

The popularization of the left and the right 

The terms left and right did not become popular immediately; during the 19th century they were used only in the political context. It was not until education reached the people that these concepts began to be heard in a globalized way. 

As educational systems improved in pioneering countries such as Germany or France, individuals created a more politicized and individual figure. concepts such as the political left or right were transferred to society to define their positions. This progressed as the countries' educational systems improved and with this, the use of more technical concepts became popular. It affected not only political concepts, topics of global interest such as the economy began to gain strength in speeches. 

The English, always on the other side 

This model It appeared in almost all of Europe during the 19th century and spread to other parts of the world, becoming a global concept. However, within Europe one exception stood out, in this case on the part of the British. What a surprise! Different currency, different side of the car, imperial system instead of metric and this too. 

He British system did not follow the same line that European countries had been acquiring. In the House of Commons, deputies from the ruling party are positioned on the right and the opposition is positioned on the left. Therefore, in Great Britain, power is placed on the right of the House and the opposition is positioned on the left. 

It can be said that one of the most used terminologies in politics worldwide began with the placement of some chairs in an assembly hundreds of years ago. Over time, the advancement of education and the politicization of individuals, The terms have been nuanced. The concepts of right and left have evolved towards the terms center-right, center-left, extreme right or extreme left, terminologies most used in current political contexts. With the current trend towards political fragmentation, the ban is open for many more in the near future. Prepare your Excel sheet!