The MJCF was founded in 1920 as the "Fédération nationale des jeunesses socialistes-communistes de France", a split of the Youg socialists, under the auspices of the Tours Congress.

Its secretary general is Léon Deffontaines, elected at the time of the national council of 27 January 2019.

[1] The MJCF contains the Union des étudiants communistes student grouping, which directs its own institutions to meet the specific demands of militancy in higher education.

In 2006, the MJCF was also involved in the movement against the Contrat première embauche and was an active member of the collectif jeune (young collective) against the CPE.

At the MJCF congress which took place on 14–17 December 2006 at Ivry-sur-Seine the MJCF decided to direct its struggles along four essential lines, called Quatre chantiers pour changer nos vies et la société (four projects to change our lives and society) The content of these projects directed the MJCF, at the national council of January 2007, to campaign for Marie-George Buffet in the French presidential election of 2007, as a candidate for the popular anti-liberal left.