Communist Party of Réunion
Encyclopedia
The Communist Party of Réunion is a Communist political party
in the French
overseas department of Réunion
(in the Indian Ocean
). The party has one seat in the French National Assembly
.
(PCF) federation in Reunion became an independent party. In the same year, they decided to include demands for autonomy
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
; Vergès is currently serving as the president of the regional council
of Réunion.
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
'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
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 Témoignages, 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.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
overseas department of Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
(in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
). The party has one seat in 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 ....
.
History
PCR was founded in 1959, as the French Communist PartyFrench 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) federation in Reunion became an independent party. In the same year, they decided to include demands for autonomy
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
in their manifesto. The party said that it wanted autonomy but not independence. It has since abandoned its policy of autonomism. Paul Vergès
Paul Vergès
Paul Vergès is a Réunionese politician. Vergès founded the Communist Party of Réunion in 1959, a party which he led until he retired in 1993...
led the party from its foundation until February 1993, when he stepped down and Élie Hoarau
Élie Hoarau
Élie Hoarau is a French politician and member of the Communist Party of Réunion. He is the husband of Senator Gélita Hoarau....
was elected general secretary
General secretary
-International intergovernmental organizations:-International nongovernmental organizations:-Sports governing bodies:...
; Vergès is currently serving as the president of the regional council
Regional Council
Regional Council or regional council may refer to the following:*Regional Council *Regional Council, Hong Kong*Regional council *Regional Council - the Parliament of a Regione of Italy*Regional councils in New Zealand...
of Réunion.
During the late 1990s the relations between PCF and PCR became somewhat strained, regarding differences in party lines
Party line (politics)
In politics, the line or the party line is an idiom for a political party or social movement's canon agenda, as well as specific ideological elements specific to the organization's partisanship. The common phrase toeing the party line describes a person who speaks in a manner that conforms to his...
. Relations were, however, fully restored in 2005, on the occasion of PCF leader Marie-George Buffet
Marie-George Buffet
Marie-George Buffet is a French politician. She was the head of the French Communist Party from 2001 to 2010. She joined the Party in 1969, and was the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports from June 4, 1997 to May 5, 2002. Ms...
's visit to the island; subsequently, the PCR stood on the list of the French Communist Party in the 2004 European Parliament elections
European Parliament election, 2004
Elections to the European Parliament were held from 10 June 2004 to 13 June 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom...
, and Vergès became one of three MEPs
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
elected from the PCF list at national level. The main party leaders are Hoarau, Huguette Bello
Huguette Bello
Huguette Bello is a politician from Réunion and a member of the Reunionese Communist Party .She is a deputy in the French National Assembly where she sits in the Gauche démocrate et républicaine parliamentary group, which includes the Greens, the French Communist Party and other left-wing...
and Pierre Vergès (the son of Paul Vergès).
The press outlet of the party is the daily newspaper Témoignages, founded by Paul Vergès' father, Dr. Raymond Vergès, in 1944. Temoignages has headquarters in Le Port
Le Port, Réunion
Le Port is a commune in the French overseas department of Réunion. It is located at the extreme northwest corner of the island of Réunion. In the 1999 census, Le Port had a population of 38,412...
, where the Communist Party usually gets most of their votes.