Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Jean-Luc Mélenchon

Public opinion and media debates around Jean-Luc Mélenchon—discover key moments of controversy.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon is a prominent French politician, currently the leader of La France Insoumise (LFI). He served as a deputy in the National Assembly for Bouches-du-Rhône (2017-2022) and led the LFI group there (2017-2021). Previously, he was a Member of the European Parliament (2009-2014). Mélenchon has run for President of France three times (2012, 2017, 2022), coming close to reaching the second round in 2022. He is a significant figure in French left-wing politics.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

2002: Reference to Attack on Paul Voise

In 2002, Mélenchon referenced the attack on retiree Paul Voise before the presidential election as an example of events used for political gain.

2012: Reference to Toulouse Jewish School Attack

In 2012, Mélenchon cited the Jihadist attack against a Jewish school in Toulouse by Mohammed Merah before the presidential election as a politically exploited event.

2013: Mélenchon's Comments on Pierre Moscovici

In 2013, Mélenchon referred to French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici as "one of those 17 Eurogroup bastards" putting pressure on Cyprus, and stated Moscovici thinks only in the language of international finance, leading to accusations of using vocabulary reminiscent of the 1930s.

August 2014: Mélenchon Criticizes CRIF

In August 2014, during a speech in Grenoble, Mélenchon criticized the Representative Council of Jews of France (CRIF), saying "We’ve had enough of CRIF. France is the opposite of aggressive communities that lecture to the rest of country." He also stated "We do not believe that any people is superior to another."

December 2014: Response to Angela Merkel's comments

In December 2014, after German Chancellor Angela Merkel described reform efforts in France and Italy as "insufficient", Jean-Luc Mélenchon replied via Twitter, telling her to take care of her own country's problems.

2014: Mélenchon on Russia's Annexation of Crimea

In 2014, Mélenchon stated that Russia's annexation of Crimea was "absolutely predictable" because Crimean ports were vital to Russia's security, and Russia was taking "protective measures against an adventurous putschist power". He also alleged Ukraine was influenced by neo-Nazis and opposed sanctions against Russia.

May 2015: Pamphlet against German policies

In May 2015, after writing a pamphlet against German policies, Jean-Luc Mélenchon declared his aim was to rid readers of fascination with the "German model".

July 2015: Comments on the Greek bailout referendum

In early July 2015, regarding the Greek bailout referendum, Jean-Luc Mélenchon stated that the "right-wing German government" was primarily responsible for aggravating the crisis.

2015: Mélenchon's View on Ukraine

In 2015, Mélenchon referred to Ukraine as a country "struggling to be one".

June 2016: Mélenchon Criticizes European Hypocrisy on Venezuela

During a European Parliament session on June 8, 2016, Mélenchon criticized European hypocrisy regarding Venezuela, comparing European tolerance of Saudi Arabian rule and intolerance of Venezuelan rule.

June 2016: Mélenchon Criticizes Saudi-led Intervention in Yemen

In June 2016, Mélenchon criticized the Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war and the Macron government's support for the war effort of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

November 2016: Mélenchon Defames Journalist

In November 2016, Mélenchon called a Le Monde journalist a reformed assassin and a CIA muse on his blog, leading to a conviction for public defamation in 2021.

July 2017: Mélenchon on French Guilt in the Holocaust

In July 2017, Mélenchon maintained that Republican France bears no guilt in the Holocaust, and criticised Emmanuel Macron for admitting that Vichy France was the legal French government at the time, thus conceding the French State's responsibility in the deportation of the Jews.

2017: Mélenchon Calls for French Withdrawal from NATO Command

In 2017, Mélenchon called for French withdrawal from the integrated command of NATO.

2017: Reference to Paris Terrorist Attack

In 2017, Mélenchon referenced the terrorist attack in Paris before the presidential election as an example of events used for political purposes.

March 2018: Mélenchon at Mireille Knoll's Memorial March

In March 2018, following the murder of Mireille Knoll, CRIF leadership requested Mélenchon stay away from a march in her memory; despite the appeal, he was booed and abused by protesters when he attended.

2018: Mélenchon on Venezuelan Presidential Election

In 2018, Mélenchon described the countries that denounced the 2018 Venezuelan presidential election as "puppets of the United States". He stated the election date was agreed upon with the approval of former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.

2018: Mélenchon Mocks Journalist's Accent

In 2018, Mélenchon mocked a journalist from Toulouse, Véronique Gaurel, for her accent during an anti-corruption investigation question, sparking a debate about discrimination based on regional accents. He later apologized.

November 2019: Mélenchon Accuses CRIF of Sectarianism

In November 2019, Mélenchon accused CRIF of practising "blatant, violent, and aggressive sectarianism, namely against me", after it asked him not to attend the memorial ceremony for Mireille Knoll more than 18 months earlier.

December 2019: Suspended Prison Sentence

In December 2019, Jean-Luc Mélenchon received a suspended prison sentence of three months for rebellion and provocation following an altercation with police officers during a warrant service at La France Insoumise headquarters in Paris.

December 2019: Mélenchon on Jeremy Corbyn and Antisemitism Accusations

In December 2019, Mélenchon deplored that Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn gave in to the accusations of antisemitism in his party, blaming influence networks linked to Likud.

2019: Mélenchon on UK Election and Israeli Likud Party

In 2019, after Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party lost the UK general election, Mélenchon claimed the results were influenced by the Israeli Likud Party.

2019: Mélenchon on Turkish Offensive in Syria

In 2019, in response to the Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Melenchon tweeted that Turkish footballers doing the military salute should be treated as soldiers of an enemy army, advocating for a boycott of football games against them.

2020: Mélenchon on the Killing of Qasem Soleimani

In 2020, following the Baghdad International Airport airstrike that resulted in the killing of Qasem Soleimani, Mélenchon stated, "We must equally condemn the USA and Iran as warmongers", and criticized Iran's stance towards Israel.

2020: Mélenchon on Jesus and the French Police

In 2020, while interviewed about the French police, Mélenchon said: "I don't know if Jesus was on a cross, but he was apparently put there by his own people." This declaration was condemned by the Wiesenthal Center.

June 2021: Prediction of a "grave incident or murder"

In June 2021, Jean-Luc Mélenchon predicted that a serious incident or murder would occur during the last week of the 2022 presidential campaign, blaming Muslims to incite civil war. He referenced past events in 2002, 2012, and 2017 to support his claim.

October 2021: Mélenchon Accused of Antisemitism Again

In October 2021, Mélenchon was again accused of antisemitism after he claimed Jewish tradition was opposed to assimilation, and that far-right Éric Zemmour's position on immigration was rooted in this opposition.

2021: Mélenchon's Stance During the Russo-Ukrainian Crisis

During the 2021-2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, Mélenchon stated that Russia "must not cross Ukraine's borders", while asserting that the United States should not "annex Ukraine into NATO". He blamed NATO for pushing closer to Russia's borders.

2021: Mélenchon Found Guilty of Defamation

In 2021 Mélenchon was found guilty of public defamation after calling a Le Monde journalist a reformed assassin and a CIA muse on his blog in November 2016.

February 2022: Mélenchon Condemns Russian Invasion

In February 2022, Mélenchon condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

June 2022: Mélenchon's Position on the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

In June 2022, Mélenchon endorsed arms deliveries to Ukraine, with the justification that "Ukraine has the right and the duty to defend itself", but opposed further French involvement, after initially opposing arms deliveries.

October 2022: Mélenchon Hosts Russian Opponents to Putin

In October 2022, Mélenchon hosted three Russian opponents to Putin: Alexey Sakhnin, Andreï Roudoï, and Elizabeta Smirnova, who are members of the "coalition of Russian socialists against the war".

2022: Mélenchon on the Russo-Ukrainian Crisis

2022: Presidential Campaign Prediction

During the 2022 presidential campaign, Mélenchon predicted an incident designed to create civil unrest by blaming Muslims.

2022: Mélenchon Advocates for French Defence

In 2022, Mélenchon advocated for France assuring its own defence.

June 2024: Mélenchon on Antisemitism in Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations

In early June 2024, Mélenchon wrote in a blog post that antisemitism was "residual" and "absent" from pro-Palestinian demonstrations, leading to accusations that he was minimizing the increase of antisemitic acts since the beginning of the Gaza war.

October 2024: Mélenchon Calls for Palestinian Flags in Universities

On October 4, 2024, Mélenchon called for "putting Palestinian flags everywhere" in universities after October 7, in response to Patrick Hetzel calling for a "maintenance of order" on university grounds.