André Lajoinie (born
December 29, 1929, in Chasteaux
, Corrèze
) is a French
politician, and a member of the French Communist Party
(PCF).
He was a
member of the French National
Assembly for Allier
from 1978 to
1993, then from 1997 to 2002, and was president of the Communist
group in the Assembly from 1981 to 1993.
A close collaborator of party leader
Georges Marchais, he was chosen to be the
PCF's candidate in the
1988 presidential
election. A rather mediocre public speaker, Lajoinie proved to
be an uncharismatic candidate, and was lampooned by humorists who
caricatured him as a dimwit. His voting share of 6.8% was
considered an unusually mediocre result for PCF standards. Lajoinie
retired from active politics in 2002.