Fabien Roussel wants 60,000 more police officers and is preparing his candidacy

Fabien Roussel called on Sunday in Marseille for the creation of 60,000 additional police and customs officer positions to wage what he called a "relentless fight" against drug trafficking. The national secretary of the French Communist Party (PCF) was speaking at a major party rally in the city, one of the hardest hit by this scourge. His visit came the day after a silent march organized following the murder of Mehdi Kessaci, brother of anti-drug activist Amine Kessaci, a tragedy that once again highlighted the scale of the problem in Marseille's neighborhoods.

A presidential strategy endorsed by party members

This security-focused stance is part of the presidential strategy of the MP from the Nord department, who took a significant step forward at the French Communist Party (PCF) Congress the previous weekend. Communist activists overwhelmingly approved his platform for 2027, a vote that strengthens his position to run for the Élysée Palace again. Three years after receiving 2,28% of the vote in the last presidential election, Fabien Roussel says he is now ready to return to the fray. "I have an appetite for these battles," he declared, thus confirming his position as a potential party candidate.

The leader of the French Communist Party (PCF) is thus attempting to combine an authoritative discourse on security issues with his left-wing roots, a line he has defended for several years and which contrasts sharply with the traditional positions of his political camp. His Marseille rally aimed to demonstrate that the Communist Party can put forward concrete proposals to address drug trafficking, an issue that is increasingly prominent in public debate. It remains to be seen whether this strategy will allow him to have a greater influence in 2027.