His father, Paul Laurent, was a member of the National Assembly of France for Paris and a high-ranking official of the French Communist Party.

Pierre Laurent joined the Union of Communist Students (UEC) when he was studying economics in Paris.

In 2010, he led the list for the Left Front (together with Alternative citoyenne, les Alternatifs and others) in Île-de-France for the French regional elections.

Laurent was elected National Secretary of the French Communist Party in June 2010, replacing Marie-George Buffet.

[4] Laurent supported Emmanuel Macron in the 2nd round of the 2017 French Presidential Election, opposing Marine Le Pen.