ABSTRACT
In the parliamentary elections held in France in March 1978, the leftist parties were defeated--though only by a very narrow popular margin. It is a general assessment that the main reason behind this defeat was the partial breakdown of the leftist alliance, for which the French Communist party (PCF) was primarily responsible. The Soviets may be right in assuming that the rigidity of the PCF position as manifested during the elections reflects not only the tactical, but also the ideological gap between the three major Eurocommunist parties. The historical evolution of the PCF's present political position can only be described as "revolutionary." The PCF's insistence on getting the Socialists to lock themselves into a new binding radical agreement may also have been due to the Communists' fear that the Socialists could otherwise dump them if the Left won the election, and instead make a deal with the "centrist" parties to run the country.
