Overview
- The PCF National Council voted on Saturday to suspend, for the duration of the campaign, parliamentarians who publicly declared support for Jean‑Luc Mélenchon.
- The resolution was adopted by a recorded vote of 82 in favor, 6 against and 20 abstentions and states any member who backs another candidate is treated as outside the party.
- A group of communist deputies including Stéphane Peu, Elsa Faucillon and Soumya Bourouaha publicly backed Mélenchon and Nicolas Sansu also signed on after returning his party card amid a separate federation suspension.
- Five overseas deputies from the same parliamentary group also announced support for Mélenchon and the dissenters say stopping a likely Marine Le Pen victory motivated their choice.
- The dispute risks widening fault lines on the left by straining party representation in parliament, pressuring Fabien Roussel's campaign and prompting contrasting coverage from left outlets defending party unity and others highlighting defections to Mélenchon.