1st of May Statement of the Communist Youth of France
We hereby share an unofficial translation of the 1st of May statement published on the Instagram account of The Communist Youth of France.
Victory Belongs to Those Who Struggle – Long Live May Day!
On May 1, in every country around the world, working and student youth, and all those around the world who are building a new and fraternal society—those who fight against capitalist exploitation, those who reject the domination of imperialism—will come together to express, with one voice and with force, their shared hopes and their determination to defeat poverty and war, to defeat capitalism, and to build a free society, a Communist society.
But this year, even more so than in previous years, May 1st must be much more than just a celebration. May 1st must once again become what it is: a symbol of the struggles of the present and the future—and these struggles will be intense! This day serves as a catalyst to strengthen our resolve, for the bourgeoisie never ceases its attacks on our class. Our country is experiencing rising inflation; unemployment is rampant, hitting young people hardest; and social injustice is becoming increasingly glaring. The big monopolies are making more profit every second, yet the living and working conditions of those who produce all the wealth are continually deteriorating. There is an increasingly unsustainable gap between the billions in profits and the living conditions of the proletariat and oppressed peoples. The exploitation of the labor of the vast majority by a handful of parasites has never ceased; worse still, it has never even lessened—it is only growing.
We live in a society that can know nothing but crisis because the bosses have only one principle: to make ever-greater profits. Power is therefore determined solely by this objective. In recent times, the government and the business community have worked hand in hand to maintain their level of domination and profit. To this end, the bourgeoisie is implementing heightened repression and systematic attacks on democratic and union freedoms, launching a violent campaign against activists—particularly pro-Palestinian activists—and the CGT.
At the forefront of these attacks:
- The special youth permanent contract (CDI): an XXL version of the CPE, paying less than the minimum wage and which employers can terminate without cause.
- A proposed law aimed at making it easier for employees in certain businesses to work on May 1: even though the measure has been suspended “at least for this year,” this proposal follows a series of policies regarding public holidays, unemployment insurance, and pensions.
- The Yadan Law, which restricts freedom of opinion and expression and prohibits support for the Palestinian people in the face of the ongoing genocide.
We must, of course, address the relentless march toward war, which is hitting young people particularly hard with the rise of military influencers, the SNU [Translator’s note: Universal National Service, military service which is optional between between 15 and 17 years old], and all its offshoots, which aim to transform themselves into a military service whenever the bourgeoisie deems it necessary. We can also mention here the normalization of the activities of fascist splinter groups and their views.
FACING THIS, THE COMMUNIST YOUTH REJECT DEFEATISM AND CHOOSE TO TAKE MATTERS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS!
Society fosters a foolish individualism and tends to make us face the problems of daily life on our own, to make us believe that political issues are dealt with elsewhere by specialists elected every five years; everything tends to make us believe that everyday life is not political, that everyone must fend for themselves, and that this is the way it is everywhere. But the difficulties of daily life are not inevitable; they are the result of a rotten political system, and they can only be resolved politically—that is, collectively through struggle. Taking matters into your own hands means organizing yourself, not waiting for salvation from a ballot.
Victory belongs to those who fight:
- Thousands of protesters, blocked universities, and ongoing demonstrations led to the liberation of Europe’s longest-serving political prisoner: Georges Ibrahim Abdallah.
- After nine months of struggle and repression, the CGT-unionized housekeeping staff at Suresnes secured permanent contracts, full-time positions, and French language training.
- Third successful strike for workers at the Geodis Gennevilliers hub: after three weeks on strike, they secured a €150 monthly raise, an increase in the seniority bonus, and reimbursement for fuel costs.
- Jean-Paul Delescaut, general secretary of the CGT Nord Departmental Union, was acquitted after being sentenced to a one-year suspended prison term for a leaflet defending the Palestinian people against the ongoing genocide.
- The struggles for our living conditions, including the CPES mobilizations: in Mirail, compensation for two residents with disabilities after they spent a night outdoors due to landlords’ negligence in maintaining the elevators, the restoration of heating, and the suspension of demolition plans; and in Saint-Denis: pest control and an energy audit.
and these examples are just a glimpse of all the struggles and victories our class achieved in 2025!
If you want to get organized and take action too:
- Against anti-youth policies in education: protest, block your high school, reject corporate involvement in education, reject the SNU! Organize against imperialist war!
- Against the unacceptable living conditions of our class: organize popular solidarity and the fight against predatory landlords, circulate petitions, organize rallies and political events where you live!
- Against anti-youth policies at work: reject youth permanent contracts, organize strikes, mobilize for your working conditions, and join the CGT!
- Against unacceptable study conditions and for a university and scientific development in the service of the people: organize campaigns for free student housing, occupy the presidency and the CROUS [Translator’s note: institution which should provide financial aid for students, student housing, cultural activities, etc.] offices to demand lower rents in CROUS housing and the removal of arms and war monopolies from the governing boards, and join the Student Union Federation! (FSE)
- To build a network of solidarity and foster new, healthy relationships centered on mutual aid, sports, and culture!
The Communist Youth is, above all, a struggle for an emancipatory vision, where politics will no longer be the domain of a select few but of everyone; a society where work will no longer be alienating, where the economy will be planned for the common good, where culture, art, and science will serve social development, a system that no longer destroys nature, so that well-being and joy may finally become a central social concern. A collectivized, planned, classless, hate-free society that will put an end to constant police surveillance, so that our lives are no longer a commodity at the service of the powerful. Joining the Communist Youth means fighting for the triumph of the Socialist Revolution.
ABOVE ALL, NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE, REJECT ISOLATION AND INDIVIDUALISM: MOBILIZE THOSE AROUND YOU, ORGANIZE YOURSELF, AND FIGHT!
JOIN THE COMMUNIST YOUTH!
