The French Communist Party is preparing its own presidential candidacy behind Fabien Roussel, refusing to join the left-wing primary. The national secretary is focusing on his municipal re-election in Saint-Amand-les-Eaux against the National Rally. He adheres to the adage of one hurdle at a time, scarred by his 2024 legislative defeat.
The French Communist Party (PCF), symbolized by the hammer and sickle, is charting an independent path toward the presidential election. Its national secretary, Fabien Roussel, will lead the effort once again, as in previous contests. This choice reflects a firm rejection of the left-wing primary, labeled by some as a 'machine à perdre' and 'totale déconnexion'.
Currently running in the 2026 municipal elections in Saint-Amand-les-Eaux, a spa town in the Nord department with 16,000 residents, Roussel scrupulously avoids national debates. As outgoing mayor, he faces a National Rally (RN) opponent in a context where the party is gaining ground locally. The memory of his defeat in the 2024 snap legislative elections against an RN candidate tied to Marine Le Pen demands heightened caution.
Roussel follows the adage of Olympic champion Guy Drut, also from the Hauts-de-France: 'one hurdle at a time.' He brushes off questions from Parisian media about the primary, maintaining a clear separation between his local campaign and national ambitions. Yet, the presidential race still occupies his thoughts, despite the paywall limiting further details in the article.
This stance highlights ongoing divisions on the left, where the PCF favors an autonomous strategy to rally its working-class and popular base.