French Communist Party facts for kids

Quick facts for kids French Communist Party Parti communiste français
Abbreviation	PCF
National Secretary	Fabien Roussel
Spokespersons	Cécile Cukierman Ian Brossat
Founders	Fernand Loriot Ludovic-Oscar Frossard Marcel Cachin Hồ Chí Minh
Founded	30 December 1920; 104 years ago (1920-12-30)
Split from	French Section of the Workers' International
Headquarters	Headquarters of the French Communist Party, 2, place du Colonel Fabien – 75019 Paris
Newspaper	L'Humanité
Student wing	Union of Communist Students
Youth wing	Mouvement Jeunes Communistes de France
Membership (2023)	42,237
Ideology	Communism Soft Euroscepticism Historical: Marxism–Leninism (until 1979)
Political position	Left-wing to far-left
National affiliation	New Popular Front (2024–present) New Ecological and Social People's Union (2022–2024)
European affiliation	Party of the European Left
International affiliation	IMCWP Cominform (1947–1956)
European Parliament group	The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL
Colors	Red
Anthem	"The Internationale"
National Assembly	12 / 577
Senate	17 / 348
European Parliament	0 / 74
Presidency of Regional Councils	0 / 17
Presidency of Departmental Councils	0 / 95
Political parties Until 2008, the party was also member of Popular Front (1936–1938), CNFL (1940–1947) and the Plural Left (1997–2002)

The French Communist Party (in French: Parti communiste français, or PCF) is a communist political party in France. It is a member of the Party of the European Left. Its members in the European Parliament are part of the The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL group.

The PCF was started in 1920. It has been part of the French government three times. These times were after World War II (1944–1947), in the early 1980s (1981–1984), and in the late 1990s (1997–2002).

From 1945 to the 1960s, the PCF was the biggest left-wing party in France. But in the 1970s, the Socialist Party became more popular. The PCF has continued to lose support since then.

Since 2009, the PCF has been a main part of the Left Front group. This group includes other parties like Jean-Luc Mélenchon's Left Party. In the 2017 presidential election, the PCF supported Mélenchon. However, they have had some disagreements since then. Even though fewer people vote for the PCF now, it still has a lot of power in French politics, especially in local areas. In 2012, the party said it had 138,000 members. About 70,000 of them had paid their membership fees.

The PCF's Story: A Look at Its Past

The French Communist Party (PCF) began in 1920. Most members of the socialist French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO) left to form a new party. This new party was called the French Section of the Communist International (SFIC). Ludovic-Oscar Frossard was its first leader. Ho Chi Minh also helped start the party. The new SFIC aimed to be revolutionary and democratic.

In the 1920s, the party faced many disagreements. These were about working with other left-wing parties. They also argued about following rules from the Comintern (a global communist organization). The party's members were elected to the French parliament. They also supported worker strikes and opposed colonialism (when one country controls another). This was a rare stance in French politics at the time.

The party helped people from French colonies. They formed the Intercolonial Union in 1922. This group fought for equal rights, like the right to vote and equal pay. Communists supported Moroccan rebels during the Rif War (1925–1926). They wanted French troops to leave Morocco. They also called for an end to fighting in French Syria during the Great Syrian Revolt (1925–1927). They protested the celebration of Algeria's colonization. They even boycotted the Paris Colonial Exposition in 1931.

The party was led by people mostly from working-class backgrounds. They helped train and promote workers. They encouraged workers to run in elections. Leaders like Maurice Thorez, Jacques Duclos, and Benoît Frachon led the party for nearly 30 years. They had been miners, metalworkers, and pastry cooks. Pierre Semard, a railroad worker, was the party's leader from 1924 to 1929.

Semard wanted the party to be united and work with other parties. But leaders like Thorez (who led from 1930 to 1964) followed a Stalinist path from the late 1920s. When fascism grew after 1934, the PCF supported the Popular Front. This group came to power in 1936 under Léon Blum. The party supported the Second Spanish Republic and opposed the 1938 Munich Agreement with Hitler. It was the only French party to speak out against this agreement.

The French government banned the PCF in 1939. This was because of the German–Soviet Non-aggression Pact. The PCF was part of the Comintern, which opposed the war before Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Party leaders had to flee France to avoid being executed. After Germany invaded France in 1940, the party started to fight against the occupation.

In May 1941, the PCF formed the National Front movement. This was part of the larger Resistance movement. They also created an armed group called the Francs-Tireurs et Partisans (FTP). At the same time, the PCF began working with de Gaulle's "Free France" government. Later, they joined the National Council of the Resistance (CNR).

By 1944, when the German occupation ended, the PCF was very strong in France. It was one of the top parties in the 1945 and 1946 elections. It joined the governing alliance, which worked on social reforms. However, in May 1947, the PCF was removed from the government. This was due to concerns about their influence. Under pressure from Moscow, the PCF then focused on its trade union base. For the rest of the Fourth Republic, the PCF remained isolated. It kept its Stalinist views but still had many voters.

The PCF opposed de Gaulle's creation of the Fifth Republic in 1958. But in later years, it grew closer to other left-wing groups. Its power in parliament increased. With Waldeck Rochet as its new leader, the party supported François Mitterrand in the 1965 presidential election, but he lost. During the student protests and strikes of May 1968, the party supported the strikes. But it did not support the revolutionary student movements.

After losing many seats in the next elections, Georges Marchais became the new leader. In 1973, the PCF joined an alliance with Mitterrand's Socialist Party (PS). They agreed on a "Common Programme." This plan included raising wages and social benefits. It also aimed to reduce working hours and lower the retirement age. It sought to expand workers' rights, end the death penalty, and achieve nuclear disarmament. However, under this program, the PCF steadily lost support to the PS. This continued after Mitterrand won in 1981.

The PCF was given a small role in Mitterrand's government. But they left in 1984 when the government changed its economic policies. Under Marchais, the party mostly kept its old communist ideas. Big changes happened after 1994 when Robert Hue became leader. But this did not stop the party's popularity from falling. They joined the government again in 1997 as part of the Plural Left group.

In the 2002 elections, the PCF had its worst results ever. Under Marie-George Buffet, the PCF focused less on parliament. Instead, it tried to build wider social alliances. After 2007, the few remaining PCF members in parliament had to join other groups. Later, a bigger group called the Left Front (FG) was formed. This group included the PCF and the Left Party. The FG has helped the French communists get slightly better election results. Pierre Laurent led the party from 2010 to 2018. Fabien Roussel took over and ran as the party's candidate in the 2022 French presidential election. Roussel got 2.28% of the votes, coming in eighth place.

What the PCF Believes In

PCF rallying for a Sixth Republic, 2012 in Paris

The PCF is usually seen as a left-wing party in France. Other more extreme communist parties in Europe are often called "far-left." The PCF has joined governments and worked with center-left parties like the Socialists. This is different from far-left parties that refuse to join governments. However, some people still see the PCF as a far-left party because their ideas are similar.

In the 1980s, under Georges Marchais, the PCF mixed some acceptance of democracy with traditional Marxist–Leninist ideas. They also ran the party in a "democratic centralist" way. This meant leaders made decisions, and everyone had to follow them. They also defended the Soviet Union.

After 1994, under Robert Hue, the PCF changed a lot. Hue clearly rejected the Soviet model. He strongly criticized Soviet leaders for ignoring human rights and freedoms. Today, the PCF sees the Soviet Union as a "mistake" of the communist idea. They clearly reject Stalinism. They believe the Soviet Union's failure was not communism's failure. Instead, it was just one model that didn't work. They also tried to downplay their past strong ties to Moscow.

Since then, the PCF's ideas have changed a lot on some topics. But they have stayed the same on others. Big changes have happened on individual rights and immigration. In the 1970s, the PCF used to call homosexuality and feminism "capitalism's rubbish." But now, the PCF fully supports gay rights and feminism. In 1998, they voted for civil unions, including for same-sex couples. The PCF supports both same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption. In 2013, PCF members in the National Assembly voted for same-sex marriage and adoption rights. The PCF also supports feminist movements. They want policies to help achieve gender equality.

The PCF was a leader in women's rights in France during the 20th century. They supported women's right to vote since the 1920s. In 1946, 17 of the first 33 women elected to parliament were from the PCF. In 1956, 15 of the 19 women in the National Assembly were Communists.

On immigration, the PCF's views have also changed a lot since the 1980s. In the 1981 election, Georges Marchais ran a controversial campaign on immigration. Anti-racism groups criticized it. In 1980, the PCF leaders voted to limit immigration. Marchais supported a PCF mayor who destroyed a home for migrant workers. The PCF said the government was pushing immigrants into poor areas. But today, the PCF supports giving legal status to illegal immigrants.

One thing that has stayed the same for the PCF is its strong opposition to capitalism. They believe capitalism must be "overcome" because it is "worn out" and "about to collapse." The PCF thinks that globalization proves what Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels said about capitalism's future. They feel that the financial crisis of 2007–2008 and the Great Recession show why capitalism needs to be changed. However, the PCF has not been very clear about how capitalism will be replaced. They often talk about ideal societies or values.

In 2013, the PCF repeated its call to "overcome" capitalism. They strongly criticized capitalism for leading to "wild competition," "destroying the planet," and "barbarism." They compare this to their own idea, which they describe as equal, humane, and democratic. They focus on human freedom, developing everyone's potential, the right to happiness, and equal respect for all people. They believe such an equal society is not possible under capitalism, which they say creates "domination and hatred."

The party is generally seen as Eurosceptic. This means they are cautious about the European Union.

For the 2022 French legislative election, the party joined the New Ecologic and Social People's Union (NUPES). This group includes left-wing and green parties. In this alliance, the PCF was the only party to support nuclear energy.

What the PCF Wanted in 2012

The Left Front (FG) and Jean-Luc Mélenchon had nine main goals in the 2012 election:

• Sharing wealth and ending social insecurity: They wanted to ban layoffs by profitable companies. They aimed to raise the minimum wage to €1,700. They also wanted a maximum wage difference of 1 to 20 in businesses. They supported retirement with full benefits at age 60. They wanted to protect public services and stop government spending cuts. They also proposed a maximum wage of €360,000 and a 35-hour workweek.
• Taking back power from banks: They wanted the European Central Bank to focus on creating jobs and public services. They aimed to control financial speculation. They also wanted to raise taxes on investment profits and wealth. They sought to end tax loopholes and create a public financial system. This system would direct money towards jobs and sustainable development.
• Planning for the environment: They wanted to make energy companies like Électricité de France, Gaz de France, and Areva public. They also wanted a national public water service. They proposed new transportation policies that favored public transport. They wanted to tax the transport of non-essential goods.
• Producing differently: They aimed for a new way of economic growth that respects the environment and people. They wanted to redefine industrial goals and give new rights to employees. They also wanted to create a "gross national happiness" measure.
• A true Republic: They wanted to uphold the 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State. They proposed a ministry for women and equality. They aimed to repeal the HADOPI law (about internet piracy). They supported legalizing illegal immigrants. They opposed the golden rule of fiscal balance. They also wanted to create jobs in the public sector.
• Creating a Sixth Republic: They wanted to form a new assembly to write a new constitution. They aimed to undo the 2010 local government reform. They wanted proportional representation in all elections. They also wanted to reduce the president's powers and strengthen parliament. They sought to guarantee judicial and press freedom.
• Changing Europe: They wanted to repeal the Treaty of Lisbon. They opposed the European Fiscal Compact. They proposed a new European treaty that would focus on social progress and democracy. They also wanted to reform the European Central Bank.
• Changing globalization: They wanted French troops to leave the war in Afghanistan. They also wanted France to leave NATO. They supported recognizing an independent Palestinian state within 1967 borders. They proposed a Tobin tax to fund international development. They also wanted to forgive the debts of low-income countries.
• Focusing on human freedom: They aimed to create jobs in public education. They wanted to spend 1% of the country's wealth on arts and culture. They also wanted to double investment in research.

The platform also supported same-sex marriage, same-sex adoption, and voting rights for resident foreigners.

PCF's Elected Officials

The PCF has members in the French parliament. Here are some of them:

• Deputies: Elsa Faucillon, Soumya Bourouaha, Pierre Dharréville, Jean-Paul Dufrègne, Sébastien Jumel, André Chassaigne, Stephane Little, Alain Bruneel, Hubert Wulfranc, Fabien Roussel, Jean-Paul Lecoq
• Senators: Peter Lawrence, Pierre Ouzoulias, Christine Prunaud, Michelle Greaume, Éric Bocquet, Celine Brulin, Fabien Gay, Cathy Apourceau-Poly, Éliane Assassi, Laurence Cohen, Cécile Cukierman, Pascal Savoldelli

As of May 2022, the PCF does not have any members in the European Parliament. They lead two local councils: in Val-de-Marne and Allier. The PCF lost control of Seine-Saint-Denis to the Socialist Party in 2008. They had held it since the 1960s.

How the PCF is Organized

The PCF has always been a "mass party." This means it had many members. However, it kept strict control over who could join. In its strongest days, the PCF had a large number of members. Its political actions were supported by a trade union called the General Confederation of Labour (CGT). It also had its own newspaper, L'Humanité. Many other groups and associations were linked to the PCF. These groups organized social activities for members. One such event, the annual Fête de l'Humanité, still happens today. It brings together left-wing groups from France and other countries. It also features music performances.

Since the PCF started to decline in the 1970s, its membership has shrunk. Its allied groups have also disappeared or moved away from the party. In 1978, the PCF said it had 520,000 members. By 2002, this number dropped to 133,000. In 2008, they claimed 134,000 members, with 79,000 having paid their fees. Today, the party likely has about 70,000 members. But only about 40,000 to 50,000 seem to be actively involved.

Studies show that the PCF's members have changed a lot since 1979. There are far fewer manual workers now. Instead, more members are employees and middle-class people, especially those who work in the public sector. The way members take political action has also changed. There is less direct political work. Instead, there is more focus on social work and protests.

The party's rules became more democratic in 1994. They stopped using "democratic centralism." This allowed members to openly disagree with the party's leaders. The top positions, like 'secretary-general', were renamed. The 'secretary-general' became the 'national-secretary'. Since 2000, the party has been led by a national council. This council makes decisions between big meetings (congresses). The executive committee carries out the national council's decisions. The national-secretary is chosen by delegates at the congress. The national council is also chosen at each congress. In 2001, new rules allowed for "alternative texts." These are different ideas from what the leaders propose. Members can vote on these.

The General Confederation of Labour (CGT) was largely controlled by the PCF after 1946. Almost all its leaders from 1947 to 1996 were also PCF national leaders. For many years, the CGT and the PCF were very close allies. They worked together, for example, in May 1968. Both the CGT and PCF wanted to restore order and welcomed the Grenelle agreements. While the CGT is still the biggest trade union in France, it has become more independent from the PCF. Louis Viannet famously left the PCF's national leadership in 1996. Bernard Thibault, the CGT's leader from 1999 to 2013, left the PCF's national council in 2001.

L'Humanité, the newspaper, has kept closer ties with the PCF. Jean Jaurès started the newspaper in 1904 for the socialist movement. It followed the communist majority after the split in 1920. It was the PCF's official newspaper. In 1945, it had up to 100,000 readers. But its readership and sales dropped a lot as the PCF declined. In 1999, the newspaper stopped mentioning its link to the PCF. The PCF no longer decides what the newspaper publishes. In 2012, it sold about 46,929 newspapers per day. This was down from 53,530 in 2007.

Party Leaders

Here are the main leaders of the PCF over the years:

• Ludovic-Oscar Frossard: 1921 – 1923
• Louis Sellier and Albert Treint, temporary leaders: 1923 – 1924
• Louis Sellier: 1924
• Pierre Semard: 1924 – 1929
• Group leadership (Henri Barbé, Pierre Celor, Benoît Frachon, Maurice Thorez): 1929 – 1930
• Maurice Thorez: 1930 – 1964 (He was also president from May to July 1964)
  • Jacques Duclos, temporary leader: 1950 – 1953
• Waldeck Rochet: 1964 – 1972 (He was deputy leader from 1961 to 1964)
  • Georges Marchais, temporary leader, then deputy leader: 1969 – 1972
• Georges Marchais: 1972 – 1994
• Robert Hue: 1994 – 2001 (He was also president from 2001 to 2003)
• Marie-George Buffet: 2001 – 2010
• Pierre Laurent: 2010 – 2018
• Fabien Roussel: since 2018

Where the PCF Gets Support

The PCF still has some strength in certain areas of France. These include:

• Suburban Paris.
• The Nord area, which used to have coal mines.
• Industrial harbors like Le Havre and Dieppe.
• Parts of central France, like Allier and Cher, which had mining and small industries.
• The industrial mining area of northern Meurthe-et-Moselle (Longwy).
• Some southern cities, like the industrial areas of Marseille and nearby towns.
• Working-class suburbs around Paris (known as the red belt), Lyon, Saint-Étienne, Alès, and Grenoble.
• The Cévennes mountains, a rural area with a strong anti-religious history and a Huguenot minority.

Communist support has decreased in some areas. This is due to changes in population. It is also because voters moved to the Socialist Party in places like Nièvre and Pas-de-Calais. In other areas, new radical left parties have emerged.

There are also small communist bases in rural areas of southwestern Côtes-d'Armor and northwestern Morbihan. They are also found in industrial cities like Le Mans and shipbuilding cities like Saint-Nazaire.

In the 20th century, French Communists were known for good local government. They provided services like street lighting, clean streets, public entertainment, and housing. They also built swimming pools, nurseries, and playgrounds. For example, in 1976, the Communist mayor of Sarcelles, Henry Canacos, was named "best mayor in the Paris region." He improved public spaces with new restaurants, theaters, and parks. Education was also a key focus for Communist local governments. A 1975 study found that Communist local governments spent more on education than other governments.

Presidential Election Results

Here are the results for PCF candidates in French presidential elections:

Election year	Candidate	1st round			2nd round			Result
		Votes	%	Rank	Votes	%	Rank
1969	Jacques Duclos	4,808,285	21.27	3rd	N/A			Lost
1974	did not participate
1981	Georges Marchais	4,456,922	15.35	4th	N/A			Lost
1988	André Lajoinie	2,056,261	6.76	5th	N/A			Lost
1995	Robert Hue	2,638,936	8.66	5th	N/A			Lost
2002		960,480	3.37	11th	N/A			Lost
2007	Marie-George Buffet	707,268	1.93	7th	N/A			Lost
2012	Jean-Luc Mélenchon	3,984,822	11.10	4th	N/A			Lost
2017	did not participate
2022	Fabien Roussel	802,422	2.28	8th	N/A			Lost

Legislative Election Results

This table shows how the PCF performed in elections for the National Assembly:

National Assembly

Election	Votes (first round)		Seats
	#	%	#	±
1924	885,993	9.8	26 / 581
1928	1,066,099	11.3	11 / 604	15
1932	796,630	8.3	10 / 607	1
1936	1,502,404	15.3	72 / 610	62
1945	5,024,174	26.2	159 / 586	87
1946 (Jun)	5,145,325	26.0	153 / 586	6
1946 (Nov)	5,430,593	28.3	182 / 627	29
1951	4,939,380	26.3	103 / 625	79
1956	5,514,403	23.6	150 / 595	47
1958	3,882,204	18.9	10 / 546	140
1962	4,003,553	20.8	41 / 465	31
1967	5,039,032	22.5	73 / 487	32
1968	4,434,832	20.0	34 / 487	39
1973	5,085,108	21.4	73 / 488	39
1978	5,870,402	20.6	86 / 488	13
1981	4,065,540	16.2	44 / 491	42
1986	2,739,225	9.8	35 / 573	9
1988	2,765,761	11.3	27 / 575	8
1993	2,331,339	9.3	24 / 577	3
1997	2,523,405	9.9	35 / 577	11
2002	1,216,178	4.8	21 / 577	14
2007	1,115,663	4.3	15 / 577	6
2012	1,792,923	6.9	7 / 577	8
2017	615,487	2.7	10 / 577	3
2022	607,667	2.9	12 / 577	2

European Parliament Election Results

This table shows how the PCF performed in elections for the European Parliament:

European Parliament

Election	Votes		Seats
	#	%	#	±
1979	4,153,710	20.5	19 / 81
1984	2,261,312	11.2	10 / 81	9
1989	1,401,171	7.7	7 / 81	3
1994	1,342,222	6.9	7 / 87
1999	1,196,310	6.8	6 / 87	1
2004	1,009,976	5.9	2 / 74	4
2009	1,115,021	6.5	3 / 72	1
2014	1,252,730	6.6	1 / 74	2
2019	564,949	2.5	0 / 74	1

See Also

• Communism in France
• Place du Colonel Fabien
• MRAP, an anti-racist group started in 1941