Mélenchon's manifesto pledges to defy EU budget and state aid rules

Key facts

• Mélenchon's platform proposes redrafting EU treaties and dropping debt and deficit limits from the EU rulebook.
• The manifesto says he would suspend competition rules for public services in energy, transport and telecoms and loosen state aid laws.
• The platform states his program would "require a confrontation with European institutions" and that he would disobey blocking rules.
• The manifesto says any treaty agreement would be put to a referendum.
• The document says the European Central Bank should be "placed under democratic control" and mobilized to fund the ecological and social transition.
• France's public debt is 117.5% of GDP and its public deficit is above 5%, the report says.

French leftist presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon unveiled a platform on November 6, 2026 that proposes a radical overhaul of EU rules and says he would disobey current rules that would block it, according to the manifesto from his France Unbowed party.

The document calls for a "new deal" for Europe: redrafting the treaties, ditching core parts of the EU rulebook including debt and deficit limits, suspending competition rules for public services such as energy, transport and telecoms, and loosening state aid laws. "We will immediately implement our program at the national level. This will therefore require a confrontation with European institutions," the manifesto said, adding that this means "disobeying rules blocking [us] whenever necessary."

The platform sets out a negotiating sequence: "As long as a deal on changing the treaties is not done, we negotiate with our partners and disobey [...] blocking rules in parallel. If we get to an agreement, it will be put to a referendum." It also says the European Central Bank should be "placed under democratic control and mobilized to fund the ecological and social transition."

The proposals echo Mélenchon's earlier statements. He drew criticism earlier in 2026 when he said he would "set fire" to a large chunk of France's public debt held by the ECB, setting off a nationwide debate. The article says the plans would likely face opposition from France's partners in the European Council, which it describes as dominated by more conservative leaders.

France's public debt stands at 117.5% of GDP and its public deficit is above 5%, the report says, making fiscal issues a central concern for voters. Mélenchon has enjoyed a recent surge in the polls ahead of the 2027 election, according to the report.