The French leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon, born 72 years ago in the Moroccan city of Tangier, is emerging as a prominent candidate for the position of Prime Minister in France. He faces accusations from the Jewish community of being confrontational towards Israel, anti-Semitic, refusing to condemn Hamas, and accusing Israel of committing acts of genocide, alongside claims that more Palestinian flags than French ones were displayed at demonstrations organized by his party, which supports recognizing a Palestinian state and imposing sanctions on Israel.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s political career is extensive, having transitioned between several parties, starting with the Communist Party in his youth, then moving to the Socialist Party in 1976. He served as Minister of Education from 2000 to 2002 under Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. Seven years later, he founded what he called the "Left Front," which he followed in 2016 by establishing the far-left party La France Insoumise, or "France Unbowed."
Mélenchon, who has run for presidency three times without success, now leads the largest party within the New Popular Union (NUPES), a coalition of leftist parties that recently became the largest parliamentary bloc, although it does not hold the majority, according to agency reports. Nevertheless, he declared that the next Prime Minister must come from his party.
Known for fits of rage, Mélenchon is a polarizing figure in French politics. His biography also indicates that he opposes nuclear energy, advocates for France's withdrawal from NATO, and expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin last March, as well as admiration for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the late Hugo Chávez.
Having become a father at the age of 23, Mélenchon has Mediterranean roots; his parents are of Spanish descent and lived most of their lives in the Algerian city of Wahran, where his father worked for the postal service and his mother was a teacher. His parents divorced when he was about 11 years old, leading him to move with his mother to Normandy and then to the nearby Jura region in the French Alps, where he studied philosophy and literature, married young, and worked in various roles including proofreader, watchmaker, teacher, and journalist.
Mélenchon is skilled in delivering lengthy speeches that often remind listeners of Fidel Castro. He has been a member of the Senate, the National Assembly, and the European Parliament, and is known for his harshness towards journalists, whom he labels as fascists, only agreeing to interviews on his own terms, and often reprimanding reporters live on air. At one point, he launched an online channel where young journalists from his party conducted interviews with him.
