André Lajoinie
Encyclopedia
André Lajoinie is a French politician, and a member of the French Communist Party
(PCF).
He was a member of the French National Assembly
for Allier
from 1978 to 1993, then from 1997 to 2002, and was president of the Communist group in the Assembly from 1981 to 1993.
A close collaborator of party leader Georges Marchais
, he was chosen to be the PCF's candidate in the 1988 presidential election
. A rather mediocre public speaker, Lajoinie proved to be an uncharismatic candidate, and was lampooned by humorists who caricatured him as a dimwit. His voting share of 6.8% was considered an unusually mediocre result for PCF standards. Lajoinie retired from active politics in 2002.
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French...
(PCF).
He was a member of the French National Assembly
French National Assembly
The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
for Allier
Allier
Allier is a department in central France named after the river Allier.- History :Allier is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Auvergne and Bourbonnais.In 1940, the government of Marshal...
from 1978 to 1993, then from 1997 to 2002, and was president of the Communist group in the Assembly from 1981 to 1993.
A close collaborator of party leader Georges Marchais
Georges Marchais
Georges René Louis Marchais was the head of the French Communist Party from 1972 to 1994, and a candidate in the French presidential elections of 1981 - in which he managed to garner only 15.34% of the vote, which was considered at the time a major setback for the party.-Early life:Born into a...
, he was chosen to be the PCF's candidate in the 1988 presidential election
French presidential election, 1988
Presidential elections were held in France on 24 April and 8 May 1988.In 1981, the Socialist Party leader, François Mitterrand, was elected President of France and the Left won the legislative election. However, in 1986, the Right regained a parliamentary majority. President Mitterrand was forced...
. A rather mediocre public speaker, Lajoinie proved to be an uncharismatic candidate, and was lampooned by humorists who caricatured him as a dimwit. His voting share of 6.8% was considered an unusually mediocre result for PCF standards. Lajoinie retired from active politics in 2002.