Jean-Luc Mélenchon backs student protests at Clermont-Ferrand rally
French far-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon celebrated protesting high school students during a campaign event Sunday in Clermont-Ferrand. The speech aimed to boost his campaign before the two-round election next year in April and May. Thousands of supporters attended the gathering.
The party invited student demonstrators onto the stage. Mélenchon praised the actions of the youths. He said their protest movement shows “a high level of political and union maturity.”
The nationwide high school protest movement focuses on several problems. Demands center on poor school buildings, teacher shortages, and inequalities in disadvantaged neighborhoods. More protests are planned Tuesday and next Saturday.
The movement has at times turned violent. Police have made more than 6,600 arrests. Hundreds have been injured. Those hurt include students, teachers and police.
Critics say Mélenchon and his France Unbowed party fuel the fire for electoral gain. Mélenchon said his party does not organize the movement. He said he wants it to be peaceful.
Mélenchon is 75 and is pursuing his fourth presidential run. He proposed lowering the voting age to 16. He called for an end to selective university admissions.
He said knowledge should not become merchandise. Mélenchon also called for lowering the retirement age from 62 to 60. He repeated his push to cancel the debt of France.
The government ordered urgent hires of substitute teachers. Officials also rearranged school schedules to address grievances. Students at the barricades said those steps are not enough.
Dounia Georgeon works as a high school librarian in eastern Paris. She said the movement marks the entry of students into politics. She told reporters that police actions will likely leave a lasting impact on young people.
Mélenchon criticized U.S. President Donald Trump, NATO and the global financial system. He called Trump an adversary due to trade tariffs. He argued that France needs an independent foreign policy.
He said France should not prepare children to die in operations concocted by NATO. His campaign platform states that NATO membership opposes French interests. The platform urges dialogue with Russia and omits mention of Ukraine.
Other political contenders also campaigned this weekend. Socialist and allied voters selected European Parliament lawmaker Raphaël Glucksmann in a primary election. A cyberattack and divisions inside the mainstream left marred that vote.
Former prime ministers Edouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal held separate rallies. President Emmanuel Macron appointed both men during his administration. Macron is finishing his second term and cannot run again.
Polls suggest Mélenchon and Philippe trail far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. Both men currently lead a range of other hopefuls. It is not clear whether their support levels will hold.
France functions as the only nuclear power in the European Union. The nation maintains the second-largest economy in the bloc. It serves as a central member of the shared euro currency zone.
The campaign event in Clermont-Ferrand concluded the weekend tour. Mélenchon hopes the youth wave creates higher turnout at the ballot box. Voters head to the polls next spring.
