Key facts
- Jean-Luc Mélenchon is targeting first-time voters, including young people and those with immigrant roots, for the 2027 French presidential election.
- Mélenchon's strategy aims to propel him into a runoff against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen.
- Polls show Mélenchon tied for second place with Edouard Philippe at 19% in a Cluster17 survey.
- A Harris Interactive poll placed Mélenchon at 18%, behind Le Pen who had over 30% of the vote.
- Mélenchon is particularly popular among voters younger than 35, with 47% support in the Cluster17 poll.
- Mélenchon's party, France Unbowed, has seen success in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, winning nearly 50% of the vote in the 2022 presidential election.
PARIS — Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a veteran of French left-wing politics, is adopting a strategy to capture first-time voters, particularly young people and those from working-class suburbs with immigrant roots, in his bid to reach the runoff of the 2027 presidential election. Mélenchon aims to position himself as a contrast to the anti-immigration platform of far-right front-runner Marine Le Pen by advocating for a "new France" that embraces diversity.
This approach, which Mélenchon's party, France Unbowed, also employed in recent regional elections, sets him apart from many French politicians who adhere to a colorblind ideal of the Republic. Critics accuse Mélenchon of playing identity politics and specifically targeting Muslim voters. However, recent polls suggest his strategy is gaining traction. A Cluster17 poll for POLITICO showed Mélenchon tied for second place with Edouard Philippe at 19% of the vote, while a Harris Interactive poll placed him at 18%. Le Pen, meanwhile, leads both surveys with over 30% of the vote.
Mélenchon's appeal is particularly strong among voters under 35, with 47% backing him in the Cluster17 poll, more than double Le Pen's support in that demographic. Strategists from France Unbowed believe these young voters, along with working-class citizens and those with immigrant backgrounds, will be motivated to vote for Mélenchon for the first time due to his platform, which includes accusations of systemic racism and Islamophobia by the French state, denunciation of police brutality, and ambitious climate change policies.
The party highlights the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, a diverse and working-class area, as a potential success story. Mélenchon secured nearly 50% of the vote there in the first round of the 2022 presidential election, and France Unbowed candidate Bally Bagayoko achieved a significant victory in local elections earlier this year. Despite this, Mélenchon remains a divisive figure, with a large majority of poll respondents indicating they would not vote for him. Political analysts suggest that while Mélenchon is building a strong core base, expanding it further may prove difficult. Polls also indicate he would likely lose to Le Pen in a second-round runoff, though such projections are considered early.