André Lajoinie had been a candidate for the French Communist Party in the 1988 presidential election. His death at the age of 94 was announced this Tuesday, November 26 on X by the national secretary of the PCF, Fabien Roussel.
2 mins
Son of Corrèze peasants and prominent figure in the Communist Party French (PCF) which he represented in the 1988 presidential election, André Lajoinie was for more than half a century a “ device man » devoted to his party. “ Immense sadness at the announcement of the death of André Lajoinie (…) We have lost a man of great humanity “, paid tribute to him Fabien Roussel, greeting “ his fights for the working classes, for his territory, for France “.
Beyond the French Communist Party, several left-wing figures also paid tribute to his memory. “ André Lajoinie was born into a family of modest peasants and grew up in the spirit of the Resistance. All his life, faithful to his communist commitment, he fought for social justice and for family farming. “, greeted former socialist president François Hollande on X.
“ An effective and powerful megaphone »
The leader of France Insoumise (LFI) Jean-Luc Mélenchon spoke of “ an effective and powerful megaphone » popular struggles « particularly in rural and peasant environments » as well as its “ absolute dedication » to communism.
“ The son of farmers, he had a love of people deep in his heart. Member of Parliament, leader of the PCF, André was a fierce defender of the working class », wrote party spokesperson Ian Brossat on X. André Lajoinie was “ a figure of the committed left, that of activists who give everything for what they believe in. Respectful thoughts for his family and comrades », Added PS deputy Emmanuel Grégoire.
Born on December 26, 1929, André Lajoinie was forced to abandon school after his school certificate to help in the fields. He joined the Jeunesses Communistes (JC), in the aftermath of the war, in 1946. A pure and hardline activist, seriously injured in 1958 during a demonstration against the Algerian war, he followed a very classic path: school central party (1964), Moscow cadre school (1967), entry into the Central Committee in 1972 and the Political Bureau in 1976. Consecration arrived in 1982, with his entry into the party secretariat, then headed by Georges Marchais.
In the 1988 presidential election, André Lajoinie led the difficult battle against the president-candidate François Mitterrand and won a small 6.76%, which ensured his party would be reimbursed for campaign expenses. This specialist in agricultural issues – he defended “ predominantly family-based agriculture, with structures on a human scale » – was a deputy for Allier from 1978 to 1993, then re-elected in 1997. He threw in the towel in 2002, at the age of 72, and decided not to run again.