In brief
Melenchon’s campaign website lists a dramatic foreign‑policy reversal: France would first leave NATO’s integrated military command and then gradually terminate alliance membership. The plan also rejects the U.S. 5 % GDP defence target, preserves aid to Kyiv, and seeks diplomatic resolution of the war. Domestically, he promises a €1,700 monthly minimum wage, retirement at 60, and a nuclear phase‑out, sparking debate over its feasibility.
On 7 November 2026, Jean‑Luc Melenchon, the 75‑year‑old leader of France Unbowed (LFI), formally launched his 2027 presidential programme, “L’Avenir en commun,” with a pledge to withdraw France from NATO in a staged manner and to reject the United States’ pressure that France earmark 5 % of its gross domestic product for defence spending.
The platform declares that France would first exit NATO’s integrated military command, an arrangement that coordinates strategic planning and force deployment among member states, and subsequently phase out full alliance membership. The proposal respects France’s treaty obligations toward EU partners while rejecting what Melenchon calls a “single‑payroll, single‑budget” defence policy that he says drains French resources.
Domestic Reforms and Economic Vision
Melenchon’s economic package calls for a net minimum wage of €1,700 a month, up from the current roughly €1,480. He also wants to restore the retirement age to 60 for those who have contributed to the system for 40 years, a reversal of President Macron’s pension reforms that had raised the retirement threshold to 64 between 2022 and 2025. The policy framework includes the abolition of the flat tax on capital income, higher taxes on the wealthiest households, and caps on essential food prices.
The programme reiterates a plan to phase out France’s nuclear power sector in favour of a renewable‑energy future, including the cancellation of the planned EPR2 reactor program and the decision not to extend existing nuclear plants beyond 60 years of operation.
On fiscal policy, Melenchon argues that France should stop repaying the debt it holds to the European Central Bank, effectively converting it into a permanent interest‑free loan, and that the state should protect domestic industry via relocation incentives and interventionist measures.
Foreign‑Policy Stance and the Ukraine Conflict
While the platform advocates a NATO exit, it stresses that France will maintain aid to Kyiv and will pursue a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine war. Melenchon does not call for cutting support to Ukrainian forces, which differentiates his position from Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, whose rhetoric includes ending aid.
The promise mirrors a long‑standing critique in LFI circles that U.S. influence within NATO concentrates on a “single‑payroll, single‑budget” security framework, disadvantaging non‑U.S. members.
According to a Cluster 17 poll of 3,000 respondents conducted on 19–22 October, 69 % of French voters express an unfavorable view of Melenchon, although the poll notes that voters are willing to choose him in 2027 to prevent other political forces from gaining power.
Election day logistics are outlined: the first round is scheduled for 18 April 2027, followed by a May 2 runoff if no candidate secures an outright majority. Melenchon’s rivals include Marine Le Pen, whose National Rally is gaining traction on the right.
“His strength is that he is in tune with the demands of the demonstrations: better wages, money in education, a lot of welfare measures, no austerity cuts which appease people who are fed up with the cost of living,” said Jacques Reland, a senior research fellow at the Global Policy Institute.
Reland notes that Melenchon’s platform resonates with the protests that began in mid‑September, when students led demonstrations that drew in broader groups dissatisfied with public services and rising living costs. Observers argue that while the enthusiasm may grow, the feasibility of Melenchon’s ambitious spending plans remains under scrutiny, a point reiterated in a review of France’s high budget deficit and debt levels.
Critics on the right argue that withdrawing from NATO could weaken Western security and divert France’s resources away from deterrence, whereas Andrejescu, a European policy analyst, suggests that a phased exit could enable France to reassert its sovereignty and pursue a European external policy independent of U.S. strategic calculus.
In conclusion, Melenchon’s campaign presents an integrated shift in both domestic and foreign policy: a significant wage increase, a lowered retirement age, a nuclear phase‑out, and a strategic detachment from NATO, all set against the backdrop of a contested national election that may reshape France’s direction in Europe and beyond.
