 However, these opponents were themselves divided about the strategy of the party.The right-wing, led by Pierre Mauroy and Gaston Defferre, was composed of some local elects who made alliances with the centrist parties, whereas the left-wing CERES faction led by Jean-Pierre Chevènement wanted to accelerate the process of an alliance with the French Communist Party (PCF).The Communists were the largest party of the French left at the time and advocated the unity of the French left around a "Common Programme".