Jean-Luc Mélenchon and his party, La France insoumise, have included France’s withdrawal from NATO in their official programme for the 2027 presidential elections. The document calls first for the immediate withdrawal from the alliance’s integrated command and then for a phased departure from the organisation itself.
The programme is 222 pages long. In it, the party also rejects the requirement to allocate 5% of gross domestic product to defence. According to La France insoumise, the country should develop a more self-reliant defence policy instead of relying primarily on capabilities provided by the United States through NATO.
France will honour its commitments to the EU
Despite its intention to leave NATO, the party says that under a Mélenchon government, France will continue to assist European Union member states in accordance with the Union’s treaties. The approach entails maintaining European defence agreements, but outside the structures of the North Atlantic Alliance.
Mélenchon has already defended this position publicly. “There can be no question of remaining a member of NATO, nor of joining new military coalitions,” he said, as quoted by Le Parisien. In June, the French left-wing leader described his future policy as “cooperation without commitment” and called for closer dialogue with China.
A different approach to the war in Ukraine
Unlike the programme of the far-right National Rally, La France insoumise’s platform does not explicitly call for an end to aid for Ukraine. The party does, however, insist that the conflict must be resolved through diplomatic means.
According to the proposal, any peace agreement must be based on collective security guarantees between the warring parties and with the participation of the rest of Europe. Mélenchon has also spoken of the need for negotiations with Russia after the cessation of hostilities.
More national control over defence
The party wants stricter regulation of weapons, including lethal autonomous weapons systems and nuclear weapons. It also opposes an arms race in space, while at the same time insisting that France must have the means to defend its sovereignty.
The programme calls for investment in so-called critical capabilities—communications, intelligence and logistics. According to the party, these capabilities are currently provided to a significant extent by the United States through NATO and must be developed in France.
La France insoumise also proposes nationalising some of the country’s major defence companies, including ArianeGroup. A separate, more detailed defence programme is expected to be presented at a later date.
France’s presidential election will determine Emmanuel Macron’s successor in 2027. Mélenchon is running for the fourth time, having taken part in the elections in 2012, 2017 and 2022.
Sources: news.bg, leparisien.fr, politico.eu