Jean-Luc Mélenchon: who is the Communist Leader of the Leftist French Bloc?

Against general expectations, it was not Rassemblement National, Marine Le Pen's party, that won the recent French elections. An opportunity coalition of left-wing French parties (NFP) led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon claimed victory. But who is this man anyway?

Jean-Luc Mélenchon

The French parliamentary elections of 30 June and 7 July were historic for many French people. The right finally wanted to get rid of incumbent President Emmanuel Macron's party and seize power for the first time. Almost all predictions pointed to them getting this done. The left also wanted to topple the current government, but not if it meant bringing the "far right" to power. Macron's party preferred the left to Le Pen. Therefore, a devious political game was played at the very last minute. Macron's party withdrew candidates from its electoral list, leaving only those from the NFP and the RN. Many of Macron's voters then preferred to vote for the NFP under Jean-Luc Mélenchon regardless.

Hothead

Mélenchon left no stone unturned. Almost immediately, he told his enthusiastic followers that he "intends to govern the country" and that Macron should "either resign or appoint one of us as prime minister". In his own words, he is "very clearly" ready to take on that role. But do his own comrades actually want that? It seems not. Mélenchon is known as a man with a tough tone who does not like to compromise. This endears him to his own supporters, but not within his own left-wing coalition. Several left-wing politicians see him as extremist, and have vowed that he will not be the one to lead the country. François Hollande, the socialist ex-president, remarked: "If he really wants to help the NFP, he should step aside. He should just keep his mouth shut."

Mélenchon has a Trotskyist Background

But then what is so extremist about this Jean-Luc Mélenchon if even fellow socialists consider him too leftist? Could it perhaps be because he praises the incumbent far-left dictatorial regimes in China, Cuba and Venezuela, while openly showing resentment for Americans? "The Yankees represent everything I hate," Mélenchon told Le Monde in 2011. "A pretentious and arrogant empire, made up of dunces and sad leaders." Or could it perhaps be because he split from the Socialist Party in 2008 and founded his own party, which is even more leftist? When you consider that he has a Trotskyist background, this should come as no surprise. Or perhaps people would consider him extreme because one of his greatest heroes is Maximilien Robespierre, under whose regime tens of thousands of French people were killed by the guillotine during the French Revolution?

Above all, Sympathy for Hamas

There is sympathy on the left for the Islamic terror movement Hamas. Not so much out of humanitarian concern (for when have we heard from the left about the persecution of Christian Armenians?), but out of a hatred shared with Hamas for Christian civilisation. This is a hatred that abounds with Mélenchon. He refuses to recognise Hamas as a terrorist organisation. With his pro-Palestinian utterances, he recruits voters in the banlieues, where voters of North African origin and Muslim persuasion live. Naturally, Mélenchon is a warm supporter of more migration into France.

Mélenchon supports Islamic Street Violence

France was rocked by massive riots in the streets of major cities in 2023. For more than a week, power lay not with the police but with gangster Islamist gangs. Mélenchon responded in support of the criminals: "The watchdogs [the political establishment, ed.] order us to call for calm. We call for justice." Mélenchon is a prominent supporter of what with in France is called Islamogauchism: the monster alliance between Islam and the left, who find each other in a shared war against Christian culture.

Read also: The “Communist Crucifix”: Are Socialism and Catholicism No Longer “Contradictory Terms”?

Lover of Communist Dictatorship

Mélenchon belongs to a generation of leftist politicians who were fiery red in their youth, but later made a successful march through the institutions under 'moderate' disguise. Working as a teacher, Mélenchon campaigned for a merger of the socialist PS and the French Communist Party in the 1970s. Under President François Mitterand, he became part of the "respectable" leftist establishment. His fondness for communist dictatorship remains. The Chinese embassy thanked Mélenchon in 2022 for his "constant support for the one-China policy" that serves as justification for persecuting Uighurs and Christians.

Political Split

If Mélenchon becomes prime minister, it remains to be seen to what extent he can implement his radical agenda. Macron remains president. Mélenchon's coalition is divided, his fellow politicians are suspicious and the other parties are aloof. It looks like if he really wants to govern, he will have to change his tune and replace his heroes. However, whether Leon Trotsky's disciple has any appetite for that remains to be seen, and as long as that is the case, it seems France is stuck in a political split.

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