Communist impact was overstated
Contrary to claims, the far-left do not play and were never “a major role in French politics”
IN SAYING “The far left still plays a major role in French politics,” I believe you overstate the case - 724 Parti Communiste Français (PCF) mayors out of 36,000 is a little less than one in 50 - in line with Marie-George Buffet’s 1.9% score in the last presidential election.
The fact that Besancenot (Ligue Communiste Révolutionnaire) got more than double indicates the PCF is withering on the political vine.
During World War II the PCF remained on the sidelines until Hitler invaded Russia in 1941. Only then, did they take to the maquis in great numbers, joining (and frequently taking control of by violence) established groups of resistants. De Gaulle had no option but to include them in the provisional government.
Post-war PCF leaders refused to acknowledge incontrovertible evidence of the nature of Stalin's regime and toed the Moscow line to the bitter end.
François Mitterrand used the PCF votes to gain power in 1981 and then sidelined them in short order.
Currently they have a leader whose charisma could be concealed behind a blade of grass.
French left-wing politicians are really far more interested in arguing obscure points of political doctrine, like medieval monks debating the sexual attributes of angels, than in running the country, which in any case they are totally unqualified to do.
Schemes to change the name of the LCR and its image by making an alliance with the extreme-greens are unlikely to bear much rural electoral fruit, since everyone and his dog flourishes their green credential these days - and after two centuries of intermittent revolutionary activity enthusiasm for it has waned in France.
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Sure, from time to time they can bring people out on the streets to protest about this or that, and they win some local elections, but that is not “a major role in French politics,” I am happy to say.
JONATHAN WARD-HAYNE
Albi (81)
