French leftist Melenchon has said he will run for president in 2027 | Political Affairs

Melenchon says he will seek a fourth term as President Macron is limited and the far-right Le Pen faces a ban.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, a leading politician in France’s left-wing Unbowed party, says he will run in next year’s presidential election, setting up a potential race with rivals on the right and the far right.

“Yes, I am the candidate,” the 74-year-old told TF1 TV on Sunday.

It is the fourth election of President Melenchon; he ran again in 2012, 2017 and 2022, where he came third behind far-right leader Marine Le Pen and French President Emmanuel Macron, who participated in the second round of voting.

Melenchon has been increasing his share of the vote with each campaign.

In 2012, he was only supported by 11 percent, but in the last election, he came close to getting a repeat seat. He won 22 percent of the vote and was only 1.2 percent behind Le Pen.

France’s Unbowed party, known by its French name LFI, has been a vocal critic of Israel and its genocidal war in Gaza.

Melenchon described the attack as genocide, and has called for the suspension of the European Union’s cooperation with Israel.

The left-wing leader has supported Spain’s position against US-Israel war in Iran.

LFI has advocated strong environmental laws and higher taxes for the wealthy.

With Macron unable to run because of the limit, and Le Pen facing a ban politics – what they are arguing in court – the 2027 race is open.

The election will be held in April, and if no candidate gets a majority in the first round, the runoff will be held two weeks later.

Macron – a senior leader who launched his Renaissance party in 2016 – has seen his public support fall in recent years due to economic and government problems.

No political party managed to win a majority in the 2024 general election, leaving any government vulnerable to a vote of no confidence if opposition parties unite against it. This instability has led France to have several governments and prime ministers over the past two years.

Melenchon’s LFI is the largest party in the New Popular Front – a coalition of leftist parties and the third largest party in the National Assembly.