Offensive towards the United States and Israel, accommodating towards Putin: candidate Mélenchon unfolds his vision of foreign policy

This weekend, Jean-Luc Mélenchon was the guest of LCI. The rebellious candidate in the presidential election spoke mainly on an area that the other candidates rarely address, if not at all, foreign policy. Political scientists and editorialists, however, affirm that the presidential election is decided on domestic issues, that international affairs do not carry much weight. Paradoxical even then that, in the Fifth Republic, the Head of State is also Head of the Armed Forces, that Defense is his responsibility and diplomacy has become his reserved domain. However, in these times of multiwars, the supreme responsibility of the president is more engaged than ever. It was in this warlike context that Jean-Luc Mélenchon presented himself to the French. « My president »he repeated again and again, like François Hollande did in 2012 against Nicolas Sarkozy.

Lider Maximo of LFI therefore demanded to assume a different, non-interventionist foreign policy, in line, he claims, with General de Gaulle. He summarized it with a formula: “I am for peace and non-alignment”. Thus he criticized Emmanuel Macron for having sent the aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle to a war zone near the Strait of Hormuz and for not having stayed away from a confrontation triggered by the United States and Israel, which he designates and targets as the main perpetrators of war.

This is nothing new. His vision of the world, has always been structured by the fight against American imperialism, responsible, according to him, for all the imbalances, both in Latin America as in the time of his pro-Castro youth and today in Iran with oil as an omnipresent backdrop. Without forgetting the country, Israel, which he particularly dedicates to vilification: “It’s Israel, a-t-il réitéré sur LCI, the most dangerous country, it attacks all its neighbors. It is more dangerous than Iran which has not invaded anyone.”…

As in each of his interventions on the Middle East, Jean-Luc Mélenchon attenuated the terrorist actions of Hezbollah and Hamas, referring to Israel and “his fascist government” primary responsibility for the deterioration of the situation. Nothing is changing, and neither is the relationship with Putin.

With the Russian dictator, Mélenchon is at least… accommodating. He certainly claimed “having stood up to Putin with his modest means and having gone to Russia to support opponents– which is correct. However, he once again hammered home a pro-Kremlin credo: “We must bring Russia back into the European family, bring them back to us. The Russians are interested in an agreement ». A skillful maneuverer in the electoral campaign, the ex-senator admits to having been mistaken since he did not believe in the invasion of Ukraine against which, in his time, he actually protested.

But here he is making an additional error, assuring that the Russians would only ask to withdraw and make peace on condition that we offer them the necessary guarantees, for example keeping NATO at bay. Ah NATO, its black beast, from which France must get out as quickly as possible since, in the mind of the EFist leader, it is only a relay for the American ogre. He would like Europe to assume responsibility for its defense alone, and France in particular… but without increasing the budget of the armed forces, which seems at least problematic at a time of general rearmament.

Mélenchon was for once friendly because he was too happy to finally be able to speak on crucial problems of the world. As if he were really president. As if he was really playing in the big leagues, able for example to really bring France closer to Algeria, to obtain the release of the French journalist Christophe Gleizes who now hopes for his pardon…

There is strong doubt that Jean-Luc Mélenchon will be elected president. But we no longer doubt that he really dreams of it.