Jean-Luc Mélenchon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean-Luc Mélenchon
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Mélenchon in 2022
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| President of the La France Insoumise group in the National Assembly | |
| In office 27 June 2017 – 12 October 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Mathilde Panot |
| Member of the National Assembly for Bouches-du-Rhône's 4th constituency |
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| In office 21 June 2017 – 21 June 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Patrick Mennucci |
| Succeeded by | Manuel Bompard |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 14 July 2009 – 18 June 2017 |
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| Constituency | South-West France |
| Minister Delegate for Vocational Education | |
| In office 27 March 2000 – 6 May 2002 |
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| Prime Minister | Lionel Jospin |
| Preceded by | Claude Allègre |
| Succeeded by | Luc Ferry |
| Senator for Essonne | |
| In office 1 October 2004 – 7 January 2010 |
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| In office 2 October 1986 – 27 April 2000 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jean-Luc Antoine Pierre Mélenchon
19 August 1951 Tangier, Tangier International Zone (current-day Morocco) |
| Political party | La France Insoumise (since 2016) |
| Other political affiliations |
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| Alma mater | University of Franche-Comté |
| Website | |
Jean-Luc Mélenchon (born 19 August 1951) is a French politician. He is the main leader of the political party La France Insoumise (LFI), which means "Unbowed France." This party was started in 2016.
Mélenchon served as a member of the French Parliament, called the National Assembly, from 2017 to 2022. He represented a part of Bouches-du-Rhône. Before that, he was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2009 to 2017. He has run for President of France three times: in 2012, 2017, and 2022. In 2022, he came very close to reaching the second round of the election.
Mélenchon joined the Socialist Party in 1976. He held several local and national roles. He was a city council member in Massy and a general council member in Essonne. In 1986, he became a Senator. He also served as a minister for vocational education from 2000 to 2002. In 2008, he left the Socialist Party to create a new group called the Left Party.
In 2016, Mélenchon founded La France Insoumise. He ran for president under this party in 2017 and 2022. After the 2022 election, he helped form a large alliance of left-wing parties called the New Ecological and Social People's Union (NUPES). This alliance did well in the 2022 legislative election.
Contents
- About Jean-Luc Mélenchon
- Early Life and Education (1951–1976)
- Joining the Socialist Party (1976–1986)
- Leaving the Socialists and Starting the Left Party (2008–2012)
- First Presidential Campaign (2012)
- Second Presidential Campaign (2017)
- Member of the National Assembly (2017–2022)
- Third Presidential Campaign and NUPES (2022–2023)
- Political Ideas
- Political Roles Held
- Awards and Honors
- Images for kids
- See also
About Jean-Luc Mélenchon
Early Life and Education (1951–1976)
Jean-Luc Mélenchon was born in Tangier, Morocco. His father was a postmaster and his mother was a primary school teacher. His family moved to France in 1962.
He went to school in Rouen, Normandy, and graduated in 1972. He earned a degree in philosophy from the University of Franche-Comté. Before becoming a full-time politician, he worked as a teacher. He joined the Socialist Party in 1976.
Joining the Socialist Party (1976–1986)
After moving to Lons-le-Saunier, Jean-Luc Mélenchon became active in the Socialist Party. He quickly took on local leadership roles. He worked to unite the Socialist Party with the French Communist Party.
He became a key leader for the Socialist Party in the Essonne region. He was the first secretary of this group from 1981 to 1986. In 1986, he was elected as a Senator.
Leaving the Socialists and Starting the Left Party (2008–2012)
In 2008, Jean-Luc Mélenchon felt that the Socialist Party was moving too far to the center. He believed it was no longer true to its original goals. So, on 7 November 2008, he and another politician, Marc Dolez, decided to leave the party.
They announced their plan to create a new left-wing party. They called it the "Left Party," similar to a party in Germany. They also called for a "left-wing front" for the European elections. On 18 November, they formed an alliance with the French Communist Party. This alliance was called the "Left Front." Mélenchon was elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in 2009.
First Presidential Campaign (2012)
Jean-Luc Mélenchon ran for president in the 2012 French presidential election. He was the candidate for the Left Front. He finished in fourth place. He received 11.10% of the votes in the first round.
Second Presidential Campaign (2017)
On 10 February 2016, Mélenchon launched a new political movement called La France Insoumise ("Unbowed France"). Several other parties and politicians supported this new platform.
He ran as a candidate in the 2017 French presidential election. He gained more support towards the end of the campaign. He finished fourth again, with 19.6% of the votes in the first round. After the first round, he did not tell his supporters to vote for Emmanuel Macron. Instead, he told them that "no vote should go to the National Front."
His campaign focused on creating a "Sixth Republic" for France. He also wanted to protect the environment. He was seen as a candidate who cared a lot about international fairness. He spoke out against free trade deals that he believed exploited people.
Member of the National Assembly (2017–2022)
In June 2017, Mélenchon was elected to the National Assembly. He represented a part of Marseille, France's second-largest city. He won with 59.9% of the votes in the second round.
He was very active in the National Assembly. He often spoke out to protect workers' rights. He argued that making labor laws more flexible would harm workers.
Third Presidential Campaign and NUPES (2022–2023)
Mélenchon ran for president again in the 2022 French presidential election. His support grew a lot in the final weeks of the campaign. He aimed to unite different left-wing parties.
In the first round, he came in third place with 22% of the votes. He was just behind the top two candidates, Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen. Only the top two move on to the second round, so Mélenchon was eliminated. He advised his voters not to vote for Marine Le Pen in the second round.
After the presidential election, Mélenchon led a new alliance of parties called the New Ecological and Social People's Union (NUPES). This group performed well in the 2022 French legislative election, winning 131 seats. Mélenchon did not run for re-election to his seat in the National Assembly. The NUPES alliance later faced some disagreements and ended in 2023.
Political Ideas
Jean-Luc Mélenchon is a socialist and a republican. He believes in increasing labour rights for workers. He also supports expanding France's social programs that help people. He wants to see a large redistribution of wealth to make society fairer.
Some of his ideas include:
- A very high income tax on very high earnings.
- The government paying for all healthcare costs.
- Reducing the power of the president and giving more power to the parliament.
- Making immigration laws easier.
- Supporting same-sex marriage.
Mélenchon believes in "créolisation" of French culture. This idea means that different cultures mix together to create something new. He says this mixing of tastes and cultures is the future of humanity.
He is often critical of the European Union (EU). He thinks the EU has been negatively affected by economic policies that favor big businesses. He believes international groups like the EU can stop people's voices from being heard. He wants to renegotiate European treaties.
Mélenchon also opposes the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). He thinks France should leave NATO because it affects France's independence.
Some people have called Mélenchon a "populist." This term can mean someone who tries to please the public. Mélenchon sees "left populism" as a positive idea. He believes it means bringing the idea of "the people" back into politics in a way that includes everyone, not just one ethnic group.
Sixth Republic and French Constitution
Mélenchon wants to create a "Sixth Republic" in France. This would involve a special meeting to write a new constitution. He believes the new constitution should be very different from the current one. It should protect France from the power of big finance. He thinks the people should lead this new republic, focusing on democracy, ecology, and social issues.
Agriculture and Animal Treatment
An animal protection group called L214 rated Mélenchon as the best candidate for animal welfare. They gave him a high score for his plans to protect animals.
Foreign Policy Views
Germany
Mélenchon is critical of Germany's policies. He has said that Germany's economic model is not as good as it seems. He believes it causes poverty and social problems for its own people. He has also criticized Germany's role in the Greek debt crisis.
Ukraine
Mélenchon supported Russia's actions in Crimea in 2014. He said that Crimean ports were important for Russia's safety. He also claimed Ukraine was influenced by far-right groups. He was against putting sanctions on Russia. He also voted against working with Ukraine on science.
He criticized the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, he blamed the conflict on NATO moving closer to Russia's borders. He also opposed sending weapons to Ukraine.
Russia
Some people have said Mélenchon supports Russia and Vladimir Putin. Mélenchon has denied this. He says he fights against Putin's policies. He also mentions that a leader of the Russian Left Front, who is his friend, is in prison in Russia.
Mélenchon believes Putin was elected fairly and should be respected for his position. In February 2022, he condemned Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Syria
Mélenchon supports a United Nations-led intervention in Syria. He believes all nations on the Security Council should be involved. He is against any intervention without international cooperation. He has said that a strike on Syria would be a mistake and calls for a political solution.
He has compared intervention in Syria to the war in Iraq. He approved of Russia's actions in Syria, believing they helped fight ISIS. He thinks the UN should solve the problem with an international group.
Saudi Arabia
Mélenchon has criticized what he calls European hypocrisy. He compared Europe's acceptance of Saudi Arabia's government to its disapproval of Venezuela's government.
Venezuela
In 2018, Mélenchon said that countries criticizing the Venezuelan election were "puppets of the United States." He stated that the election date was agreed upon.
Iran
After an airstrike in Baghdad in 2020, Mélenchon condemned both the USA and Iran. He called them "warmongers." He also stated that Iran's government wants to destroy Israel, which he finds unacceptable.
Defence
Mélenchon wants France to leave NATO. He supports a "separate France" that promotes peace. He does not agree with the idea of a single European army.
Regionalism
Mélenchon supports teaching regional languages in France, like Breton. He believes the government should fund this. However, he has spoken against giving too much independence to regions like Brittany.
In 2018, he made a comment about a journalist's accent from Toulouse. He later apologized for this comment.
Political Roles Held
- Minister of Vocational Education, 2000–2002
- National Assembly
- Member for Bouches-du-Rhône's 4th constituency, 2017–2022
- European Parliament
- Member of the European Parliament, 2009–2017
- Senate
- Senator of Essonne, 1986–2000, and 2004–2010. He was the youngest senator when first elected at age 35.
- General Council
- Vice-president of the General Council of Essonne, 1998–2001
- General councillor of Essonne, 1985–1992, 1998–2004
- Municipal Council
- Deputy-mayor of Massy, Essonne, 1983–1995
- Municipal councillor of Massy, Essonne, 1983–2001
- Co-president of the Left Party, 2008–2014
Awards and Honors
- Grand Officer of the Order of May (Argentina, 1988)
- Named "Politician of the Year" 2012 by GQ France magazine
- Honorary Professor at the Universidad Nacional de Lanús (Argentina) in 2019
Images for kids
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Jean-Luc Mélenchon with fellow parliamentarian Éric Coquerel in 2017
See also
In Spanish: Jean-Luc Mélenchon para niños
