Mélenchon seeks to rally support to avoid far-right presidency

Ania Nussbaum, Bloomberg News on Jun 7, 2026

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France’s veteran leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon pitched himself on Sunday as the most viable candidate in next year’s presidential election to prevent a win by the far-right National Rally party.

Speaking at a campaign event in Saint-Denis, near Paris, Mélenchon said candidates who don’t stand a chance of making it to the runoff in the elections “should not try to stop us from winning it, particularly on the basis of absurd calculations and forecasts.”

Saint-Denis was the largest city captured by Mélenchon’s France Unbowed movement in municipal elections earlier this year.

Mélenchon’s accused the far-right party of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella of bringing a divisive “supremacism” to France, partitioning people into “ethnic groups and religions” with the help of “digital technology.”

The politician is readying his fourth bid for president after he narrowly missed reaching the runoff in the 2022 election, falling short by some 400,000 votes. He is currently polling between 12% and 16% for the first round of the 2027 election, the outcome of which remains highly uncertain as moderates have yet to agree on their candidates, including on the center-left.

By contrast, Mélenchon can rely on a highly disciplined political movement. It is also already clear that the National Rally will nominate either Le Pen or Bardella, with polls suggesting that whichever is chosen will likely advance to the runoff.

Saint-Denis is located in the French metropolitan department with the country’s highest share of residents with a migrant background. The city is also home to the Basilica of Saint-Denis, the burial site of French kings, making it an apt backdrop for Mélenchon’s speech.

The 74-year-old has recently drawn criticism from opponents for celebrating what he calls the “new France” — a fluid concept that reflects the country’s growing diversity, including citizens with migrant roots. Detractors argue his approach is divisive.

On Sunday, Mélenchon pledged to increase minimum wage to a net 1,700 euros ($1,960) a month, to lower the retirement age and to make the French health system fully public. He also called for the “digital decolonization” of the country from the US.

According to France Unbowed, some 26,000 supporters gathered to hear him speak.