Mélenchon wants to take France out of NATO
The French presidential candidate presented a programme that also includes higher wages, price caps and a retirement age of 60.
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Jean-Luc Mélenchon wants to gradually withdraw France from NATO if he becomes president. The leader of La France Insoumise said this on Saturday while presenting his election programme in Le Bourget, near Paris. His course would fundamentally change French security and foreign policy.
According to the programme, Mélenchon wants first to leave NATO’s integrated military command and then the alliance itself. During the gathering, he said that France had no place in NATO or in American wars. Instead, he wants to build a global bloc of non-aligned countries.
The candidate links this foreign policy to a broader break with President Emmanuel Macron’s course. The programme, L’Avenir en commun, opts for a stimulus policy in which consumption and existing savings are to be used for social and environmental goals. Reuters reported that around 17,000 people attended the gathering, according to campaign director Manuel Bompard.
LFI also wants to reverse Macron’s pension reform. The party wants to allow retirement from the age of 60 for people who have contributed for 40 years. The programme also mentions raising the net minimum wage to €1,700 a month, price caps on basic foodstuffs and higher taxes on wealthy households.
The proposals are election promises, not decisions. The French presidential election will be held next year, and Mélenchon must first secure enough support to reach the second round. According to recent polls cited by Reuters, he is among the strongest candidates on the left; the same polls indicate that he would lose to Marine Le Pen in a second round.
The proposal also concerns France’s military cooperation with the Netherlands and other NATO allies. France possesses nuclear weapons, has an important military role in Europe and is one of the largest countries in the European Union. A French withdrawal would affect the political cohesion of European defence, but the programme does not say exactly how LFI would carry out the transition with its allies.
According to the programme, Mélenchon does not want to take France out of the European Union. LFI does, however, want to be able to ignore European rules when the party believes they obstruct social, environmental or tax objectives. European cooperation would therefore formally remain intact, but room would emerge for conflicts over budget rules, defence and migration.
The core of the news is therefore not that France is already changing course, but that a prominent presidential candidate has put forward a concrete alternative to current security and economic policy. How much support this has will only become clear during the election campaign and ultimately from the result.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Mélenchon presented an election programme for the 2027 French presidential election on 7 November 2026.
- The programme advocates France’s gradual withdrawal from NATO, beginning with the integrated military command.
- LFI wants, among other things, retirement at 60 after 40 years of contributions, higher wages and price measures.
- The programme does not explicitly rule out leaving the European Union, but seeks the ability to ignore European rules in certain cases.
Left
Arguments France should become more independent from the United States and restore social purchasing power through higher wages, price controls and a lower retirement age.
Values Social equality, national sovereignty, peace and public investment.
Consequences Supporters expect greater social protection and a more independent foreign policy, even if this creates tensions with NATO allies.
Centre
Arguments The social problems deserve policy action, but major changes to defence and pensions must be financially and Europeanly feasible.
Values Institutional stability, reliability towards allies and gradual reform.
Consequences A compromise could combine social measures with retaining NATO cooperation and European coordination.
Right
Arguments Leaving NATO would weaken deterrence and France’s position in Europe; higher spending and lower retirement ages could burden the public finances.
Values National security, budgetary discipline, order and the international balance of power.
Consequences Critics fear less protection against external threats and greater uncertainty for European allies and markets.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The central claims were confirmed by Tagesschau and Reuters. The article clearly distinguishes between election promises and existing policy.
- confirmed Mélenchon presented his programme in Le Bourget on 7 November 2026. — Tagesschau and Reuters describe the gathering and its date. source
- confirmed The programme provides for a step-by-step withdrawal from NATO, beginning with the integrated military command. — This is stated in reporting by Tagesschau and Reuters. source
- confirmed LFI wants to allow retirement from the age of 60 after 40 years of work. — Reuters mentions this passage from the election programme. source
- confirmed France has an important military role in Europe and possesses nuclear weapons. — General institutional background; the wording makes no statement about future policy. source
Editor's note
It is certain that Mélenchon presented his programme on 7 November and included a gradual withdrawal from NATO and several economic promises. The consequences for France and Europe are forward-looking; the election result and feasibility are uncertain.Sources
- Französischer Präsidentschaftskandidat Mélenchon fordert NATO-Austritt — Tagesschau
- French presidential hopeful Melenchon pledges economic stimulus, renews NATO exit call — Reuters via MarketScreener
More on this in Dutch media
- RTL Nieuws — „frankrijk jean-luc mélenchon”
- NOS — „frankrijk jean-luc mélenchon”
- Het Parool — „frankrijk jean-luc mélenchon”