André Chassaigne

Election and early terms (2002–2012)

Chassaigne was first elected to the National Assembly in the 2002 legislative elections. While the PCF lost fourteen seats that cycle, he was the sole Communist to win a constituency not previously held by the party, taking the 5th constituency of Puy-de-Dôme (encompassing Thiers and Ambert) with 51.34% of the vote in the second round.^[5] He was regularly cited as one of the most active deputies in the National Assembly.^[6]

He was comfortably re-elected in 2007 with 65.90% of the vote in the second round, a significant improvement over his 2002 result.^[7]

Group presidency and later terms (2012–2025)

In June 2012, he was elected president of the Democratic and Republican Left group (GDR) in the National Assembly, which brought together Left Front deputies and overseas deputies.^[10] That same year, he was re-elected as a deputy with 41.2% in the first round and 67.5% in the second round.^[11]

Chassaigne was ranked as the most active deputy of the 14th legislature by the magazine Capital in 2017, based on data collected by the Regards citoyens project, for his attendance and involvement in parliamentary work.^[12]

Agriculture

Chassaigne has been described as one of the embodiments of "rural communism", regularly raising the concerns of small municipalities and agriculture in the National Assembly.^[2] In April 2008, he introduced an amendment (known as "amendment 252") to a bill on genetically modified organisms that would restrict GMO cultivation in numerous zones, including regions with AOC designations. The amendment was adopted unexpectedly, provoking a crisis within the Fillon government and its parliamentary majority.^[29]

He was the author of a bill guaranteeing farmers a minimum pension of at least 85% of the minimum wage, funded by a 0.1% increase in the financial transaction tax. Although the National Assembly adopted the measure in February 2017, the subsequent government blocked it with an amendment in May 2018.^[30] He ultimately secured a unanimous vote in favour of the revaluation,^[31] and his proposal to revalue pensions for agricultural workers' spouses—particularly women—was also adopted in December 2021.^[32]

Environment

Chassaigne has frequently intervened on environmental issues, earning a reputation as the PCF's point person on ecology according to Mediapart. He has contributed to shifting the party's thinking, particularly on the question of productivism, and published a book critiquing "green capitalism" (Pour une terre commune, Arcane 17). He is perceived as a locally rooted politician, close to his constituents and the rural world.^[33]

Labour and pensions

On 15 October 2013, Chassaigne voted against the pension reform presented by the Second Ayrault government, denouncing it as an "anti-social project, unworthy of a left-wing government".^[34]

In May 2016, during a session of questions to the government, he denounced the use of Article 49.3 to pass the Labour Law, calling the procedure a "triple coup de force" against "the working world", against "our compatriots", and against "the national representation deprived of its role as legislator".^[35]

International affairs

During the 2005 referendum campaign on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, Chassaigne campaigned for the "No" vote and held a joint meeting in Clermont-Ferrand with Jean-Luc Mélenchon (PS) and Olivier Besancenot (LCR).

In June 2015, he was one of only two deputies (alongside Les Républicains member Nicolas Dhuicq) to vote against ratification of the European Union Association Agreement with Georgia and the European Union Association Agreement with Ukraine, arguing that the agreements risked aggravating Russia–Ukraine relations and could produce a "Greek-style scenario" economically.^[36]

On international questions, he has been particularly engaged in defending Cuba against the American embargo.^[37]