In brief
Jean‑Luc Méléchon, the left‑wing France Unbowed candidate for France’s 2027 presidential election, has called for a phased withdrawal from NATO and a rejection of the U.S. 5 % GDP defense spending demand. He also insists that France continue to aid Kyiv and pursue a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine conflict. Despite the platform, a poll shows most voters see Méléchon unfavorably.
Jean‑Luc Méléchon, the left‑wing candidate for France’s 2027 presidential election, announced that France should leave NATO and cut defense spending at a public forum in Paris on April 18, 2027. Méléchon’s platform calls for a phased exit: first giving up NATO’s integrated military command and then gradually withdrawing from the alliance itself.
He also rejects the U.S. demand that France devote 5 % of its gross domestic product to defence. Instead, Méléchon says France would still meet its treaty obligations toward assisting other EU member states.
Unlike Marine Le Pen of the National Rally, Méléchon does not want to end aid to Kyiv. He argues that the Ukraine war must be settled through diplomacy, while continuing financial and material support to the Ukrainian government.
A recent poll of 3,000 voters found that about 69 % of respondents view Méléchon unfavorably. The poll was conducted October 19‑22 and was cited in the platform’s release.
The first round of France’s presidential election is scheduled for April 18, 2027, with a possible runoff on May 2 if no candidate wins an outright majority.
