French Communist Party
The French Communist Party (French: Parti communiste français, pronounced [paʁti kɔmynist fʁɑ̃sɛ], PCF) is a communist party in France. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its MEPs sit with The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL group.
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 Ho Chi Minh |
| Founded | 30 December 1920 |
| 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 |
Marxism–Leninism (until 1979) |
| Political position | Left-wing to far-left |
| National affiliation | New Ecologic and Social People's Union |
| 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 |
| Website | |
| www | |
Until 2008, the party was also member of Popular Front (1936–1938), CNFL (1940–1947) and the Plural Left (1997–2002) | |
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Founded in 1920, it participated in three governments: the provisional government of the Liberation (1944–1947), at the beginning of François Mitterrand's presidency (1981–1984), and in the Plural Left cabinet led by Lionel Jospin (1997–2002).
It was also the largest party on the left in France in a number of national elections, from 1945 to 1960, before falling behind the Socialist Party in the 1970s. The PCF has lost further ground to the Socialists since that time.
From 2009, the PCF was a leading member of the Left Front (Front de gauche), alongside Jean-Luc Mélenchon's Left Party (PG). During the 2017 presidential election, the PCF supported Mélenchon's candidature; however, tensions between the PCF and Mélenchon's movement, La France Insoumise, have led the two movements to campaign separately for the general elections. Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a strong influence in French politics, especially at the local level. In 2012, the PCF claimed to have had 138,000 members, 70,000 of whom had paid their membership fees.