In the Somme department, once dotted with communist strongholds, PCF-affiliated mayors are now few and far between amid economic decline and the rise of the Rassemblement national. In Woincourt, Mayor Arnaud Petit laments the nighttime posting of an RN poster, a sign of mounting pressure on left-wing bastions. Aging militants and a lack of successors make political survival precarious ahead of the 2026 elections.
The Somme, a Picard department once thriving with lock-making and plumbing factories, hosted numerous Parti communiste français (PCF) strongholds. These industries employed hundreds of CGT-unionized workers close to the PCF. Yet, the economic crisis has severely impacted the Vimeu region, emptying workshops and weakening militant bases.
Today, mayors openly claiming PCF affiliation can be counted on one hand in this area. The Rassemblement national (RN) has made spectacular inroads, threatening the last left-wing outposts. In Woincourt, a town of 1,300 residents, a recent incident highlights this strain. One February night, RN militants discreetly pasted a poster of their local deputy, Matthias Renault, whose constituency includes this rebel borough. Although the RN is fielding no list in the upcoming municipal vote, the act aims to signal its lurking presence.
Mayor Arnaud Petit, a 49-year-old communist, found the poster untouched, without vandalism. 'Never, but never, would it have been spared like that before. Our posters would have covered it up quick and proper,' he stated, voicing his irritation. In the past, militants would have responded swiftly, but times have changed. Members have aged, and many, disillusioned by the left-wing union and its unkept promises, have drifted away. Succession is lacking, making the fight for political survival tough as the 2026 municipal elections approach.
This report sheds light on the fragility of PCF officials in a context of industrial decline and political reconfiguration in Picardy.
