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Fabien Roussel, here in the National Assembly on October 16, 2018, is the new secretary general of the PCF. REUTERS / Pascal Rossignol

The French Communist Party has a new boss. Fabien Roussel was elected head of the party this Sunday, November 25. He succeeds Pierre Laurent who leaves after eight years at the head of PCF.

A page turned this weekend to the French Communist Party. After three days of convention, fabien Roussel's list brought together the votes of 449 delegates, for 127 blank or invalid ballots. The northern deputy becomes the new national secretary of the party.

A small revolution, which had actually started in early October when Pierre Laurent, then party boss, had been, to general surprise, ahead and therefore outvoted by a text supported by Fabien Roussel.

And the international to finish! #CongressPCF pic.twitter.com/mAfOSY8Nc6

PCF (@PCF) November 25, 2018

Renowned for his outspokenness, Fabien Roussel inherits a divided Communist Party and in the midst of an existential crisis. The PCF had not presented a candidate for the last presidential election, it had achieved a score of only 2.7% in the legislative elections and it is currently facing bad polls at 6 months of the European elections.

In the communist ranks, it will now be necessary to settle a question that divides. Should the PC continue on its own or, as Pierre Laurent had bet on during the last presidential election, by joining forces with other leftist groups, such as insubordinate France?