Overview
- At a Le Bourget rally on Saturday, November 7, Jean‑Luc Melenchon presented a full presidential manifesto to about 20,000 supporters and framed his bid as a call for major political change.
- His programme proposes a lower retirement age of 60, a €1,700 minimum wage, renationalisations, exit from NATO, and a plan to ask the European Central Bank to convert some French debt into an interest‑free loan.
- National polling now shows Melenchon as the strongest left candidate and for the first time projects he could reach the 2027 second round, though head‑to‑head surveys still give Marine Le Pen a large lead.
- French officials and many economists warn Melenchon’s debt and spending proposals risk market disruption and legal conflict with EU rules, and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu publicly called the debt idea 'theft.'
- Internal left splits, accusations that LFI encouraged recent street unrest, and controversy over Melenchon’s statements on Palestine could limit his ability to broaden support and decide whether other left parties back him.