Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
Photo: REUTERS.
The other day, many people laughed at Vanga’s prediction, which for some reason reminded the New York Post: in 2076, communism will spread throughout the world. Laughter, but the chance to become the new Prime Minister of France was held by a communist led by Trotsky’s admirer Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
In the parliamentary elections, the left-wing coalition “Nouvelle Front Popular” achieved the best result, largely thanks to its member party “France Invicta” Mélenchon. An opponent of NATO, a participant in the action of the “Immortal Regiment” in Moscow – what else is this unusual character in French politics known for?
HELP “KP”
In the parliamentary race, the left-wing New Popular Front won 180 seats. (Of these, 71 are from Mélenchon’s party, 64 from the Socialists, 33 from the “Greens”, 9 from the Communists, 3 from individual leftists.)
The second are the Macronists (163 seats). In third place is the far-right group National Rally Marine Le Pen and its allies (143 seats).
Now we have to elect a new prime minister and appoint a government. But no one has an absolute parliamentary majority. Macron is playing his game: he is playing for time, he is convincing: the cabinet (which manages the military budget) should have representatives from all camps, except the far right.
And the left believes: the prime minister should be their man, since they won. But who is this man? A heated debate has broken out around the candidates of the motley New People’s Front.
Suddenly the communists made a proposal that had a chance of success: that the government be headed by Huguette Bellot, a 73-year-old former nursery school director from a remote French overseas territory, Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean!
EXOTIC COMMUNISTS
Huguette’s nationality is unknown, but it is known that her father worked on plantations. Réunion was largely uninhabited until the Portuguese landed there in the 16th century. Today, local citizens are descendants of Europeans, residents of Madagascar, Africans, Chinese, Indians…
Huguette Bello.
Photo: GLOBAL LOOK PRESS.
Madame Bello is the president of the regional council of Réunion, head of the executive power. For more than forty years she was a communist, fought for women’s rights and did not support the law on same-sex marriage. She rebelled against the directive to explain to schoolchildren the “positive role of French colonization”. As mayor of Réunion Saint-Paul, she put things in order: she opened new police stations, installed video surveillance everywhere, changed the general plan according to her opinion, introduced free lunches in schools…
He has good relations with both the Socialists and the Macronists, but his main sponsor in recent years is Jean-Luc Mélenchon, they often appear together and Bello supported him in the presidential elections; well, now Mélenchon supported his nomination as Prime Minister. He would have nominated himself, but other political forces consider him too radical.
THE SOCIALISTS HAVE LED TO A DEAD END
But the second largest force in the New Popular Front, the Socialists, refused to accept Bello’s candidacy. Its leader, Olivier Faure, wants to become prime minister himself. But Mélenchon no longer agrees to this. In fact, he has set an ultimatum: until there is a single left-wing candidate, his party will not negotiate with anyone on other issues. Rebel, one word.
“THE RUSSIANS ARE OUR FRIENDS”
We are primarily interested in Mélenchon’s attitude towards Russia and the Ukrainian conflict.
Jean-Luc visited the USSR twice as a representative of the socialists. For the first time he came with President Mitterrand on the occasion of the launch of the French cosmonaut Jean-Loup Chrétien from Baikonur. I met Gorbachev for the second time to understand the essence of his course.
In 2014, Mélenchon criticised NATO’s approach to Russia’s borders, calling it “unacceptable and irresponsible”. Petro Poroshenko, who came to power in Ukraine, called him a right-wing extremist and described Euromaidan as a coup by Nazi groups.
In 2018, in Russia, the politician walked in the column of the Immortal Regiment, carrying a portrait of the pilot Maurice de Seyne, pilot of the Normandie-Niemen squadron. He met with State Duma deputy Sergei Shargunov and senator Alexei Pushkov. He said to the camera: “I came here to say: the Russians are our friends.” For this, he was later repeatedly called a “secret agent of the Kremlin.”
The leader of the “unconquered France” advocates leaving NATO and considers provoking Russia suicidal.
Leonid Tsukanov, an expert at the Russian Council for International Affairs and a consultant at the Russian Centre for Political Research, explains: “Mélenchon is highly critical of Macron’s policies, including the situation around Ukraine. He does not support an increase in military assistance to kyiv and criticises any proposal to send a French contingent to the conflict zone. He also calls for multilateral negotiations with Russia’s participation.”
BISMARCK HERRING
Jean-Luc is 72 years old. Born in Morocco, he moved to France and became interested in left-wing ideas: he took part in the famous youth protests of 1968, which led to the resignation of Charles de Gaulle. Imbued with the teachings of Trotsky.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
Photo: REUTERS.
He worked as a teacher, graduated in philosophy at the University of Besançon, and finally entered politics. At the age of 26, he joined Mitterrand’s Socialist Party. He oversaw vocational education in the government and was a senator.
Mélenchon broke away from the Socialists, considering that they were moving away from their “original” ideas, and gathered around him the ultra-left, including the Trotskyists themselves.
It is interesting that one of the main objects of hatred for a politician is Germany. He called on Chancellor Angela Merkel to “keep quiet” and even wrote a pamphlet “Bismarck’s Herring”. “German poison” – calling it “an empire full of ruthless greed and social coldness”. He called the unification of Germany an “illegal annexation” of the socialist GDR by the Federal Republic of Germany. And modern Germans are people who are not interested in anything and do not want to have children.
THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE
Mélenchon ran in the French presidential elections three times, most recently in April 2022, falling just a few votes short of advancing to the second round alongside Macron. He won 21.95%, with Marine Le Pen ahead by 1.2%.
According to the results of the televised debates of all presidential candidates, Jean-Luc’s performance was considered the most convincing. In addition, he has attracted attention by using the latest technology, such as his holographic images at rallies.
What does the leader of the far-left “France Invicta” want for his country? A bloodless revolution. In addition to NATO, relations with the EU must be reconsidered: it is not European bureaucrats but “the power of the people” that must determine the course of the Republic.
Change the constitution to eliminate the “presidential monarchy” and give more power to parliament. Lower the retirement age, raise the minimum wage. Freeze prices of essential goods, create a million new jobs…
To have enough money for all this, the politician proposes taxing the rich and closing all the loopholes. Needless to say, how much Macron, raised by bankers, loves him for this…
MELENCHON’S QUOTES ABOUT UKRAINE AND RUSSIA
“I will not be part of the chorus of delusional lunatics who want a conflict with Russia.”
“I have always said: if you threaten Russia, it will cross the border. Think twice. Now that it has done this, Western countries supposedly “did not expect this.”
“The policy of economic repression has had the opposite effect to what the EU wanted. The Russian economy has never performed better.”
“Macron’s statements about sending French troops to Ukraine to fight the Russians are an irresponsible act.”
“We need de-escalation. If we leave NATO, we will not be dragged back into the logic of the Cold War.”
“Anti-Russian policy does not serve French interests; such a course of action is dangerous and absurd. I want France to be free of alliances and to support alternative paths to globalisation.”
