Very similar situation over here in the UK. Difference is that France's left is more organised, and much more radical. Here in the UK the left's organising infrastructure was demolished by Thatcher when she went after the coal miners. All leftist organising at the time was built around unions in the dirty industries and manufacturing, so when those industries were destroyed by her along with the absolute ravaging of the north of the UK the communist influence across the country got demolished with it. We've rebuilt to a certain extent along new strategies focused on utilities docks teachers and the NHS but it has taken 45 years to do so.

The French on the other hand? None of that happened, so the radical organising tradition continued without a gap. A lot of people look at France and think there must be something unique to them that causes it but the reality is that the differences is the size, strength and organising power of their left. And by left I mean left of liberal, liberalism represents the centre-right across europe, very different landscape.