If he often pleads for a policy of breaking with the two Macronist five-year terms, Jean-Luc Mélenchon is above all, in foreign policy, “in a Gaullo-Mitterrandian lineage” which he claims on several occasions, even making reference to the ” Chirac doctrine” when it comes to displaying firmness on the Lebanese issue: “Where we put soldiers under blue helmets, if we are hit, we respond”.
A firmness that he combines with the realpolitics of a world where non-aligned France discusses with everyone, renouncing unrealistic objectives. “The French Nation will never bring down a regime,” he says, pragmatically, mocking his interlocutor’s “Care Bears of a world where there are good guys and bad guys” vision, which reminds him of the nature of the Chinese or Russian regimes. Which does not prevent him from supporting the opposition, he said, recalling his links with Russian opponents or his distrust since the French stay of Ayatollah Khomeini with regard to the Iranian theocracy.
From Algeria to the Middle East via China, Russia and the United States, an overview of sensitive subjects.
On the war in the Middle East
The surge in fuel prices speaks volumes about the impact of foreign policy on our daily lives and Jean-Luc Mélenchon deplores that “the affair triggered by Mr. Trump is changing the distribution of the labor product-capital in France.” What is at stake here is “a battle which will undoubtedly permanently change the course of events in the world” and in which the LFI candidate uses international law as his compass. Because it’s “either that, or the law of the strongest.” And we are not the strongest.”
Critical of the sending of the “Charles-de-Gaulle” into this war zone, he wants to be cautious. In place of Emmanuel Macron, he would have constituted “a front of refusal” against the United States and Israel, with other European and Latin American countries and “began to block the protagonists”. And to mention for the United States the overflight and the use of the bases, citing that of Istres, and for Israel the blocking of the trade agreement with the European Union. Israel, which he describes as “the most dangerous country” for the balance of the Middle East, castigating the regime of “M. Netanyahu, who has “triggered a genocide” and “which disgraces the idea we had of Israel “when we had respect for this country”.
On the United States
“He’s been a partner for a long time, we’ve been talking,” says Jean-Luc Mélenchon about the country led by Donald Trump, with respect to whom he places himself more than ever “in the Gaullo-Mitterrand tradition.” Namely that “everything that links us to them militarily must be put at a distance” to defend our independence in terms of software and equipment. “NATO is useless, […] “to put us under North American supervision, that’s all”, he concluded, defending an exit “in stages”.
War between Russia and Ukraine
Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s stated objective is to bring Russia back into the European family, “I’m not going to tell you that it’s simple, we’re far from it.” To do this, “they must first get out of Ukraine,” says the candidate. “I am certain that the Russians are ready for an honorable agreement,” he says. They know they can’t win the war. Ukrainians can’t do it either. We must help them to resist but we must not escalate.”
For him, the basis of a good agreement involves mutual security guarantees, for the two belligerents but also for France, with the requirement of not having “Russian intermediate missiles on European soil, facing us, which can reach us.” With also “the powerful interest”, for France, to put an end to the threats around Ukrainian power plants, which pose a risk to local rivers emptying into the Black Sea and communicating with the Mediterranean.
Defense and deterrence
Jean-Luc Mélenchon has repeatedly affirmed his conviction that we “do not have the military means” to play on an equal footing with China or Russia. “They shoot once and it’s over for us.” It is therefore necessary to discuss, to conclude agreements, its key words. Without saying which of Emmanuel Macron’s commitments he would return to, he clearly does not share the desire of the current occupant of the Élysée to expand the European nuclear umbrella. But he bluntly displays his lack of confidence in the American capacity to protect us, counting more on the solidity of the treaties which bind the Europeans: “There is no one in the world who believes that if we were attacked, the United States of America would vitrify Detroit to save Toulouse.
As for the means to be allocated to the armies, he justified the vote against the budgetary increase of 36 billion on the part of the rebellious deputies, without wanting to enter into a quantified assessment: “I will provide the necessary means”.
Where he shares the “intuition” of the current head of state is on the fact that the next war, if it exists, will be played out “in space and through communications”.
On China and Taiwan
For Jean-Luc Mélenchon, “there is only one China” and Gaullian France recognized it in 1964. So, if Beijing used force to regain control of Taiwan, we should not count on a Mélanchonian France to defend it: “We do not “Let’s not get involved,” asserts the rebellious leader, who believes that here again, this is a balance of power in which France has no card to play. “You have to live with the times, and in these times, they are very strong. We must therefore negotiate.” And even “make a pact”, he said, putting forward France’s interest in reaching an agreement with this “extraordinary partner, the nation which is in the lead in almost all the most modern techniques”.
And to explore in particular a reorientation of our alliances in terms of space policy. Obviously, Jean-Luc Mélenchon does not share the enthusiasm for the Artemis program and seems to believe that the interests of the “first European space power” are sacrificed. Therefore, why not seek to obtain better Chinese or Indian partnerships, defends the LFI candidate.
On Algeria
“I’m not going to salute people who have made such a mess on the subject, but I approve of this direction,” admitted the rebellious candidate on the subject of the change in French policy and Minister Alice Rufo’s trip to Algiers. For the Insoumis, the problems of deporting Algerian nationals to the border are not worth “such chaos”. This involves “lowering the temperature”, by discussing with the Algerians, “reasonable people”.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon also mentioned the project that is dear to him for understanding between the Mediterranean countries, which he accuses the Germans of having torpedoed when it is an ecological emergency to protect this mare nostrum, which is becoming “tropical” by becoming heating up at a worrying rate.
Africa and the French-speaking world
While Emmanuel Macron is currently on tour in Africa, Jean-Luc Mélenchon said all the bad things he thought about a policy which resulted in us being “transformed into plague victims in Africa. We were kicked out of five countries.” The priority? “Repair the damage”. By focusing on the French-speaking world, “culturally, a great space for us, but not in a colonial way.” And to evoke partnerships around maritime professions or space policy, indicating that “the demographic dynamics of the world are in Africa. At the end of the century, nine out of ten people who speak French will be in Africa.” It is therefore out of the question to accept, as Emmanuel Macron did, an English speaker at the head of the general secretariat of the Francophonie.
