André Lajoinie (26 December 1929 – 26 November 2024) was a French politician and a member of the

French Communist Party The French Communist Party (, , PCF) is a Communism, communist list of political parties in France, party in France. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its Member of the European Parliament, MEPs sit with The Left in the ...

(PCF).

Life and career

Lajoinie was a member of the

French National Assembly The National Assembly (, ) is the lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral French Parliament under the French Fifth Republic, Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (France), Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known ...

for

Allier Allier ( , , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region that borders Cher (department), Cher to the west, Nièvre to the north, Saône-et-Loire and Loire (department), Loire to the east, Pu ...

from 1978 to 1993, then from 1997 to 2002, and was president of the Communist caucus in the Assembly from 1981 to 1993. He was the deputy for Allier's 3rd constituency in the 6th, 7th, 9th and 11th legislatures, and one of four deputies from Allier in the 8th legislature. 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. Lajoinie died on 26 November 2024 in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

at the age of 94.

References

1929 births 2024 deaths People from Corrèze French Communist Party politicians Candidates in the 1988 French presidential election Deputies of the 11th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Knights of the Legion of Honour {{France-politician-PCF-stub