Communist, Republican, Citizen and Ecologist group

The first and only parliamentary group of communists in the Senate of the Third Republic was formed following the 1938 senatorial elections, with two members.{{cite book|last1=Bonnefous|first1=Georges|last2=Bonnefous|first2=Édouard|authorlink1=Georges Bonnefous|authorlink2=Édouard Bonnefous|title=Histoire politique de la Troisième République : Vers la guerre, du Front populaire à la conférence de Munich, 1936–1938|publisher=Presses Universitaires de France|location=Paris|volume=6|page=436|date=1986}} A communist group existed through the duration of the Fourth Republic in the Council of the Republic, with 74 seats following senatorial elections on 8 December 1946,{{cite web|title=Composition du Conseil de la République – 8 décembre 1946|url=https://www.senat.fr/fileadmin/Fichiers/Images/archives/Images/PDF/1946.pdf|publisher=Sénat|accessdate=27 June 2017}} 17 seats following senatorial elections on 7 November 1948,{{cite web|title=Composition du Conseil de la République – 7 novembre 1948|url=https://www.senat.fr/fileadmin/Fichiers/Images/archives/Images/PDF/1948.pdf|publisher=Sénat|accessdate=27 June 2017}} 16 seats following senatorial elections on 18 May 1952,{{cite web|title=Composition du Conseil de la République – 18 mai 1952|url=https://www.senat.fr/fileadmin/Fichiers/Images/archives/Images/PDF/1952.pdf|publisher=Sénat|accessdate=27 June 2017}} 14 seats following senatorial elections on 19 June 1955,{{cite web|title=Composition du Conseil de la République – 19 juin 1955|url=https://www.senat.fr/fileadmin/Fichiers/Images/archives/Images/PDF/1955.pdf|publisher=Sénat|accessdate=27 June 2017}} and 16 seats following senatorial elections on 8 June 1958.{{cite web|title=Composition du Conseil de la République – 8 juin 1958|url=https://www.senat.fr/fileadmin/Fichiers/Images/archives/Images/PDF/1958.pdf|publisher=Sénat|accessdate=27 June 2017}}

In the Fifth Republic, Jacques Duclos served as the first leader of the communist group (groupe communiste) in the Senate.{{cite news|title=MM. Jacques Duclos et Jean Bertaud présidents des groupes communiste et U. N. R, du Sénat|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1959/05/02/mm-jacques-duclos-et-jean-bertaud-presidents-des-groupes-communiste-et-u-n-r-du-senat_2154904_1819218.html|newspaper=Le Monde|date=2 May 1959|accessdate=27 June 2017}} After the death of Duclos on 25 April 1975,{{cite news|author=André Laurens|title=La " mémoire du parti "|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1975/04/28/la-memoire-du-parti_2593133_1819218.html|newspaper=Le Monde|date=28 April 1975|accessdate=27 June 2017}} Marie-Thérèse Goutmann took over the presidency of the group on 20 May 1975,{{cite web|title=Compte rendu intégral – 16^e seance|url=http://www.senat.fr/comptes-rendus-seances/5eme/pdf/1975/05/s19750520_0905_0952.pdf|publisher=Sénat|date=20 May 1975|accessdate=27 June 2017}} becoming the first woman to preside over a parliamentary group.{{cite news|title=Mme GOUTMANN SUCCÈDE À JACQUES DUCLOS À LA TÊTE DU GROUPE COMMUNISTE DU SÉNAT|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1975/05/17/mme-goutmann-succede-a-jacques-duclos-a-la-tete-du-groupe-communiste-du-senat_2588727_1819218.html|newspaper=Le Monde|date=17 May 1975|accessdate=27 June 2017}} She subsequently sought to become a deputy in the National Assembly in the 1978 legislative elections; due to irregularities which resulted in the invalidation of the original result by the Constitutional Council, however, a by-election was held on 16 and 23 July which ultimately resulted in her election to the assembly and departure from the Senate;{{cite news|title=M. JACQUES CHIRAC A EU UN ENTRETIEN DE QUARANTE MINUTES AVEC LE SOUVERAIN PONTIFE|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1978/07/08/m-jacques-chirac-a-eu-un-entretien-de-quarante-minutes-avec-le-souverain-pontife_2999373_1819218.html|newspaper=Le Monde|date=8 July 1978|accessdate=27 June 2017}}{{cite web|title=Anciens sénateurs Vème République : GOUTMANN Marie-Thérèse|url=https://www.senat.fr/senateur/goutmann_marie_therese58673y.html|publisher=Sénat|accessdate=27 June 2017}} as such, though Marcel Rosette became the new president of the group on 6 April,{{cite web|title=Compte rendu intégral – 2^e seance|url=http://www.senat.fr/comptes-rendus-seances/5eme/pdf/1978/04/s19780406_0359_0378.pdf|publisher=Sénat|date=6 April 1978|accessdate=27 June 2017}} Goutmann was obligated to continue to sit in the Senate until the Constitutional Council later confirmed her election to the National Assembly.{{cite web|title=Compte rendu intégral – 1^re seance|url=http://www.senat.fr/comptes-rendus-seances/5eme/pdf/1978/04/s19780403_0321_0357.pdf|publisher=Sénat|date=3 April 1978|accessdate=27 June 2017}} She remained president of the group for only a year, and was replaced by Hélène Luc on 19 December 1979.{{cite web|title=Compte rendu intégral – 53^e seance|url=http://www.senat.fr/comptes-rendus-seances/5eme/pdf/1979/12/s19791219_5733_5804.pdf|publisher=Sénat|date=19 December 1979|accessdate=27 June 2017}} The communist group expanded to include 24 members after the 1983 renewal,{{cite web|title=Nombre de sièges au Sénat en 1983|url=http://www.senat.fr/fileadmin/Fichiers/Images/archives/D50/senat_1983.pdf|publisher=Sénat|accessdate=27 June 2017}} the highest number ever attained by the communist group.{{cite web|title=Les groupes politiques au Sénat sous la Ve République|url=https://www.senat.fr/espace_presse/actualites/201309/les_groupes_politiques_au_senat_sous_la_veme_republique.html|publisher=Sénat|date=7 October 2014|accessdate=27 June 2017}} On 28 September, Hélène Luc announced that the group would be renamed to the Communist, Republican and Citizen group (groupe communiste, républicain et citoyen), abbreviated CRC, presenting it as an "opening to the people of progress"; specifically, it allowed Paul Loridant, member of the Movement of Citizens of Jean-Pierre Chevènement, to join the group.{{cite news|title=Les députés voteront sur la politique sociale le 14 novembre|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1995/09/30/les-deputes-voteront-sur-la-politique-sociale-le-14-novembre_3856510_1819218.html|newspaper=Le Monde|date=30 September 1995|accessdate=27 June 2017}}

Luc's stint as president of the group ended on 3 April 2001;{{cite web|title=Extrait de la table nominative 2001|url=https://www.senat.fr/table-nominative-archives/luc_helene77044f/5R/2001.html|publisher=Sénat|accessdate=27 June 2017}} she was succeeded by Nicole Borvo.{{cite web|title=Informations sur la composition et les activités du Sénat|url=https://www.senat.fr/themas/infocompo_2001/infocompo_2001_mono.html|publisher=Sénat|date=31 December 2001|accessdate=27 June 2017}} On 26 November 2008, Jean-Luc Mélenchon and François Autain, who left the Socialist Party (PS) to found the Left Party, joined the group, which was then renamed to the Communist, Republican, Citizen and Senators of the Left Party group (groupe communiste, républicain, citoyen et des sénateurs du Parti de gauche), abbreviated CRC–SPG.{{cite news|title=Mélenchon rejoint le groupe communiste du Sénat|url=http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/politique/le-congres-du-ps/20081126.OBS2786/melenchon-rejoint-le-groupe-communiste-du-senat.html|newspaper=Le Nouvel Observateur|date=26 November 2008|accessdate=27 June 2017}} However, after Jean-Luc Mélenchon was elected to the European Parliament after the 2009 elections, he vacated his seat in the Senate on 7 January 2010,{{cite web|title=Informations sur la composition et les activités du Sénat au 31 décembre 2010|url=https://www.senat.fr/themas/infocompo_2010/infocompo_2010_mono.html|publisher=Sénat|date=31 December 2010|accessdate=27 June 2017}} and after Autain lost his seat in the Senate in the renewal of seats during the senatorial elections on 25 September 2011, the group reverted to its original name.{{cite web|title=Informations sur la composition et les activités du Sénat au samedi 31 décembre 2011|url=https://www.senat.fr/themas/infocompo_2011/infocompo_2011_mono.html|publisher=Sénat|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=27 June 2017}} On 19 September 2012, Nicole Borvo Cohen-Seat resigned from the Senate,{{cite web|title=Anciens sénateurs Vème République : BORVO COHEN-SEAT Nicole|url=https://www.senat.fr/senateur/borvo_cohen_seat_nicole95011x.html|publisher=Sénat|accessdate=27 June 2017}} and was succeeded by Eliane Assassi, who was elected president of the CRC group the same day.{{cite web|title=Entretien avec Eliane Assassi, nouvelle présidente du groupe CRC|url=http://www.senat.fr/espace_presse/actualites/201210/entretien_avec_eliane_assassi_nouvelle_presidente_du_groupe_crc.html|publisher=Sénat|accessdate=27 June 2017|archive-date=4 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171004085751/http://www.senat.fr/espace_presse/actualites/201210/entretien_avec_eliane_assassi_nouvelle_presidente_du_groupe_crc.html|url-status=dead}} The group was renamed to the Communist, Republican, Citizen and Ecologist group (groupe communiste, républicain, citoyen et ecologiste) after the 2017 renewal, when it was joined by the ecologist senators Esther Benbassa, Guillaume Gontard, and Pierre-Yves Collombat.{{cite news|title=Sénat : Un groupe réunira les communistes et les écologistes|url=http://www.liberation.fr/direct/element/senat-un-groupe-reunira-les-communistes-et-les-ecologistes_71657/|newspaper=Libération|date=3 October 2017|accessdate=4 October 2017}}

{{Portal|France}}

• Democratic and Republican Left group

{{reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.senat.fr/senateurs/grp.html Lists of senators by political group] {{in lang|fr}}
• [http://www.senat.fr/evenement/archives/D50/index.html Historical composition of the Senate and political groups] {{in lang|fr}}

{{Political groups of the French Senate}}

{{French Communist Party}}

Category:Senate (France)

Category:Parliamentary groups in France

Category:French Communist Party