The Communist Party of Réunion (, PCR) is a

communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology, ...

in the French

overseas department The overseas departments and regions of France (, ; DROM) are the five departments and regions of the French Republic which are located outside European France (also known as " metropolitan France"). These overseas entities have exactly the s ...

Réunion Réunion (; ; ; known as before 1848) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately east of the isl ...

(in the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

History

PCR was founded in 1959, as 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) federation in Reunion became an independent party. In the same year, they decided to include demands for

autonomy In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy is the capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision. Autonomous organizations or institutions are independent or self-governing. Autonomy can also be ...

in their manifesto. The party said that it wanted autonomy but not independence. It has since abandoned its policy of autonomism. Paul Vergès led the party from its foundation until February 1993, when he stepped down and Élie Hoarau was elected

general secretary Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, Power (social and political), power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the org ...

; Vergès is currently serving as senator in the French senate. During the late 1990s the relations between PCF and PCR became somewhat strained, regarding differences in party lines. Relations were, however, fully restored in 2005, on the occasion of PCF leader

Marie-George Buffet Marie-George Buffet (née Kosellek; born 7 May 1949) is a French politician. She was the head of the French Communist Party (PCF) from 2001 to 2010. She joined the Party in 1969, and she served in the government as Minister of Youth Affairs an ...

's visit to the island; subsequently, the PCR stood on the list of the French Communist Party in the 2004 European Parliament elections, and Vergès became one of three

MEPs A member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Comm ...

elected from the PCF list at national level. The main party leaders are Hoarau, Huguette Bello and Pierre Vergès (the son of Paul Vergès). The press outlet of the party is the

daily newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...

'' Témoignages'',http://www.philbu.net/media-anthropology/wergin_worldmusic.pdf founded by Paul Vergès' father, Dr. Raymond Vergès, in 1944. Temoignages has headquarters in Le Port, where the Communist Party usually gets most of their votes. In 2012, Pour La Réunion was created by Huguette Bello as a splinter party.

Important members

National Secretary

* Élie Hoarau

Senators

* Paul Vergès (2011–2016) * Gélita Hoarau (wife of Élie Hoarau) (2005–2011, 2016–2017)

Deputies

* Huguette Bello (1997)

Mayors

* Huguette Bello ( Saint-Paul, 2008–2014) * Claude Hoarau ( Saint-Louis) * Roland Robert (

La Possession La Possession () is a Commune in France, commune in the France, French overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department of Réunion. It is located in the northwestern part of the island of Réunion, between the capital of Saint-Den ...

) * Yolande Pausé (Sainte-Suzanne) * Éric Fruteau ( Saint-André) * Jean-Yves Langenier ( Le Port)

Regional Councillors

* Paul Vergès * Maya Cesari (stepdaughter of Paul Vergès ) * Yasmina Panshbaya * Élie Hoarau * Rahiba Dubois * Catherine Gaud * Aline Hoarau Murin * Béatrice Leperlier * Philippe Jean-Pierre

Departemental Councillors

* Maurice Gironcel * Roland Ramakistin * Yvon Virapin * Robert Nativel * Yvon Bello * Éric Fruteau * Monica Govindin * Jean-Yves Langenier * Roland Robert * Pierre Vergès (son of Paul Vergès)

References

* Gilles Gauvin,
Le parti communiste de la Réunion (1946-2000)
', Vingtième Siècle. Revue d'histoire, No. 68 (Oct. - Dec., 2000), pp. 73–94

External links

Témoignages

Paul Vergès MEP
{{DEFAULTSORT:Communist Party Of Reunion Anti-capitalist political parties Political parties in Réunion Communist parties in Réunion Political parties established in 1959 1959 establishments in Réunion Parties represented in the European Parliament