The far-left presidential candidate for France, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has included in his party’s official programme the country’s withdrawal from NATO and the nationalisation of several major companies in the defence industry. The 222-page programme of the party “France Unbowed” was published on Friday.
Thus, Mélenchon and NATO would part ways step by step, according to his party’s document, which provides for France’s immediate withdrawal from the Alliance’s integrated command and then its complete departure over time. Mélenchon’s political force also opposes the target of raising military spending to 5 percent of Gross Domestic Product.
It describes this as a demand from the United States. However, according to the programme, a France led by Mélenchon would continue to offer assistance to European Union member states, in line with obligations arising from EU treaties. Various polls have placed Mélenchon in a position that could allow him to advance to the second round of next year’s presidential election.
At that stage, the successor to Emmanuel Macron will be chosen. He could face Marine Le Pen, who has also promised to take France out of NATO’s integrated command. Unlike Le Pen’s party, “France Unbowed” does not explicitly provide for ending assistance to Ukraine.
It stresses the need for a diplomatic solution to the war. According to the programme, any peace agreement must be based on “collective security guarantees” between the warring parties and the rest of Europe. The programme also provides for stricter rules on the use and development of weapons, including autonomous lethal systems and nuclear weapons.
Another point of the platform is opposition to the militarisation of space. For this reason, the party calls for the closure of NATO’s space centre in Toulouse. At the same time, it argues that France must maintain sufficient capabilities to guarantee its sovereignty, including the development of a spacecraft.