by WALDEN BELLO
An interview with Jean Luc Melenchon and the leadership of La France Insoumise on the future of the French left.
Walden Bello Interviews Jean-Luc Melenchon and the leadership of La France Insoumise on the the deepening political crisis in France and its implications for the left and the alternative to the ancien regime.
In the nine years since its founding in 2016, La France Insoumise (LFI) has become the leading left formation in France, with its current parliamentary representation at 71, ahead of the traditional parties of the left, the Socialist Party and Communist Party. The personality most identified with it is Jean Luc Melenchon, who has run for president three times, the last time in 2022, when he gathered 21.9 percent of the votes, finishing third after second-placer Marine Le Pen of National Rally and Emmanuel Macron. La France Insoumise describes its orientation as democratic socialist and ecosocialist.
The following is a composite interview. When he visited Paris in July 2025, Walden Bello interviewed some of the leaders of LFI, including Nadege Abomangoli, vice president of the National Assembly; Aurelie Trouve, chairwoman of the Economic Affairs Committee of the Assembly; and members of parliament Arnaud Le Gall, Aurelien Tache, and Aurelien Saintoul. This was followed in September 2025 by an email interview with LFI leader Jean Luc Melenchon (JLM).
The Crisis of Macronism
Walden Bello: Can you give your assessment of the current political situation in France?
La France Insoumise: In terms of the strategic situation, we are at the end of Macronism. The Macronists are very divided and in their desperation, they’re allying with the far right.
Let’s begin by pointing out that last year, when the National Rally won the European Parliament elections, Macron was willing to make a deal with them. He was going to appoint a prime minister from the National Rally. That was the plan.
That did not happen. But even if it did not, the reality is that, Macronism has already absorbed much of the ideology and slogans of the far right. The Macronists are in an alliance with the far right in the current government. The Republicans, the traditional right-wing party, is already, more than ever, positioned alongside the far right. The new head of this party, a man named Bruno Retailleau, is now minister of the interior, and therefore of the police. In a meeting, he said, “Down with the veil.” As you know, this a slogan of the far right. Also, as you probably know, during the colonial war in Algeria, the French colonial community, also shouted, “Down with the veil,” targeting Muslim women. So this is something very old but at the same time very worrisome given the current situation. Islamophobia represents a very real threat insofar as it provides the ideological glue of all the right-wing forces in our country.
Popular Protests and the Left
WB: What are the key challenges facing the left at this point?
Jean Luc Melenchon : The capitalists are getting behind the far right. Do you know why? Because there is intense social mobilization against the decisions stemming from the neoliberal program. There is a pre-revolutionary atmosphere in France, by the admission of analysts who are themselves favorable to those in power.In fact, all over the world, for many years now, there have been revolutionary situations. We call these events “citizen revolutions.” In my book Now the People, I try to analyze them, including the conditions that produce them. This situation is what has worried Macron and the establishment.
In France, there was a movement of the yellow jackets. In the beginning, the traditional left did not support them. They said the yellow jackets were fascists. It was only 10 days after it began that the left, the trade unions, and the alter-globalization movement made a declaration saying we support them. What was happening was that a new line of conflict was emerging: not left versus right, but the oligarchy versus the people.
As you know there were mass protests that took place in 2005 and 2023. The character of the two protests were different. Those in 2005 took place in the suburbs of big cities. Those in 2023 were in smaller cities as well. They were very young people. Some sociologists said the 2005 and 2023 protests had the same causes, but we think the 2023 protests were different. The people participating in them were very young, and they felt very deeply what they were against, including the right of the police to kill them, the license to kill, especially young Arab men.
There was no spokesperson, but it was clear what it was against. It was a reaction to an extra-judicial execution. And the polarization was sharper in 2023, partly because of social media. There was this outpouring of anger from the right in reaction to the protests, with some people expressing that it was right for the police to kill these young Arab and Black men.
Capitalism and Racism
WB: Were the protests in 2023 linked as well to economic issues?
LFI: Yes, they were, and we pointed out that the events were caused by neoliberal policies.
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