Far-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon is presenting his policy programme at a major rally near Paris on Saturday, November 7, with young supporters forming an important part of his electoral base. While he remains a divisive figure across France, his proposals and efforts to involve younger people in politics have helped him build a strong following among them.
Mélenchon joined crowds in Paris on November 5 during a nationwide general strike and renewed protests. His appearances at demonstrations driven by young people have become a recurring feature of recent months, with photographs showing him smiling and raising his fist. The founder of France Unbowed, known as LFI, won strong backing from voters aged 18 to 34 in the 2022 presidential election.
Recent polling suggests that support from younger voters could help Mélenchon reach the second and final round of the 2027 election. There, he could face far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who leads the polls. His appeal rests partly on pledges to tackle climate change, redistribute wealth and expand public involvement in government through what he calls a “citizen’s revolution”.
Political scientist Thibault Muzergues linked that appeal to longstanding frustration among young people and their desire for revolutionary change on the left. Livia Jampy, a 25-year-old Montpellier city councillor and co-chair of LFI’s youth group, said the party treats young people’s political concerns seriously. She rejected suggestions that its younger supporters do not understand its actions, saying: “We understand very well what’s going on.”
LFI has also worked to give its young supporters a more active role. Its youth organisation, Jeunes Insoumis.es, reaches out to voters both online and on the streets. The party holds an annual summer university for people younger than 26, and this year’s programme included a meeting with Mélenchon.
That popularity coexists with criticism from the wider electorate. Opponents have blamed Mélenchon’s confrontational language for civil unrest and criticised his encouragement of a student protest movement that has sometimes involved violence. President Emmanuel Macron has said political forces are exploiting young people. Mélenchon has also regularly faced accusations of anti-Semitism since the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel. During his previous presidential campaign, he drew criticism over perceived leniency towards Russia and his promise to withdraw from NATO.
Muzergues said those international questions matter less to young voters seeking fundamental reform at home. He argued that their support should not be dismissed as a protest vote, but understood as a demand for profound changes to a system they believe has failed them.
