Overview
- Jean‑Luc Mélenchon, who declared his bid Sunday on TF1, said he is best prepared for crisis times and called this his final run.
- The unilateral announcement without a primary drew unease inside his party and left allies signaled they may field their own candidates, raising warnings about a split vote helping the Rassemblement National.
- Polls still put Marine Le Pen or her protégé Jordan Bardella ahead, Emmanuel Macron is term‑limited out, and a July court ruling will decide whether Le Pen can be on the ballot.
- Mélenchon set out a hard‑left economic plan that includes higher taxes on the wealthy, price caps on essentials, a higher minimum wage, shorter workweeks, and retirement at 60.
- His pro‑Palestinian stance and combative style have cost him support in parts of the left, yet he has a strong base in immigrant‑heavy suburbs and plans an early rally in Saint‑Denis.