French far-left party La France Insoumise’s leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, is taking a tough stance in the 2027 presidential elections. Polls show that he has become one of the most competitive challengers in the left-wing camp, with a chance to face the far-right candidate in the runoff election.
This veteran politician, who has been on the run for the fourth time to become president, is using a program that completely subverts French traditional diplomatic policies. At the same time, he is alienating the United States, Germany, and NATO—yet he lavishes praise on China.
June 21st, Mei Langxiong participated in a demonstration in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris, Politico.
On July 29, the European edition of POLITICO, titled 'French Presidential Candidate Who Wants to Destory Franco-German Partnerships', focused on his public challenge to the traditional Franco-German partnership.
In the political logic of the EU, Franco-German cooperation is the cornerstone of European integration. But Merkel scorns this idea.
As early as 2015, Mei Langxiong published a book titled "Bismarck’s Herrings", with the subtitle directly reading "The Poison of Germany". He accused Germany of imposing order liberalism upon Europe, believing that the Franco-German partnership had served Berlin's interests for decades. He wrote: "Political confrontation with the German government is one of the conditions for people's liberation."
This year, Mélenchon took it a step further. He explicitly stated that he would not comply with the series of agreements reached between French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel—ranging from nuclear deterrence to industrial policies, all of which he refused to acknowledge. According to reports from politicians, Mélenchon’s party, “Indomitable France,” stated that they are not anti-European; rather, they oppose order liberalism. The party believes that there is no real French-German partnership, and that Germany is merely trying to impose its own agenda on the EU.
Germany is highly vigilant about this. Tess, a Conservative Party member from Merz, warned: 'Meuron's political stance on key European policy issues, as well as his hostility towards Germany... will make him a major problem for French-German cooperation.'
On July 16th, Mertz and Macron took a photo together in Bergisch-Graachbach, Germany. French media.
Green Party member Hofrichter said more directly: "The election of Ma Rongxiong as president will greatly complicate bilateral and European cooperation at the highest level."
According to German media analysis, Germany is deeply anxious about the outcome of the French elections, fearing that the "French-German axis" could come to an end. In fact, Berlin has already begun seeking new allies—Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi is seen by Germany as the "co-pilot who steers the EU." The potential collapse of the traditional French-German partnership seems to be a reality.
If saying Sino-American relations just broke down is as simple as "breaking up a house", then Mei Langxiong's policy toward the United States was practically "overturning the table".
On June 27 this year, Meilangxiong presented his foreign policy vision at a seminar organized by the left-wing think tank Labosix Society. The core idea is simply: France must withdraw from NATO.
His logic is quite ‘hardcore’: NATO’s goal ‘is actually preparing for the next world war’, and the ‘supposed enemy in this conflict is China, which has been designated as a competitor by the United States’. France ‘cannot stay in NATO, nor can it join new military alliances’, such as those of Australia, New Zealand, and the UK targeting the Asia-Pacific region.
He even rejected forms of “closed club diplomacy” such as the G7 and G20, believing that the only organization that can represent all of humanity is the United Nations. The reason? The G7 “only represents about 10% of the global population,” and “may not even be the most powerful force in the world today.”
But China's attitude is, in Foreign Minister Mei Lang-xiong's diplomatic strategy, one of the most striking elements.
In sharp contrast to a tough stance on virtues, Merlanxiong holds a friendly attitude towards China and explicitly advocates that France should strengthen its relations with China, as well as deepen its connections with French-speaking African countries and South American nations.
Mei Langxiong has long adhered to the principle of 'one China', which he considers the core of his policy towards China. He has repeatedly emphasized that since the time of Charles de Gaulle, France recognizes the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate representative of China, and Taiwan is part of China. This stance was reiterated in an interview after he announced his intention to run for president again in May 2026. He directly stated that 'Taiwan is part of China' and believed that issues in this region should be handled by China itself.
The latest and more systematic statement came on June 27. At a political affairs seminar held by the La Boeyssie Society, Meunier proposed a diplomatic concept of “cooperative non-alignment”. He explicitly rejected any form of violent confrontation with China, advocating that France should instead strengthen cooperation with China. In his view, there is no way to address China through blockade or confrontational policies, as these measures would only harm French interests.
In his speech, Mei Langxiong spent a lot of time praising China. He called China "one of the oldest civilizations in the world" and emphasized that "China's development model has its own characteristics, and it did not follow the imperialist path of development" – this is what he saw as the most fundamental difference between China and the United States.
"There's no way out except for deep cooperation between China and the world. It's the only solution to global challenges," said Mei Langxiong. "We cannot decide on or against cooperation with other countries based solely on their values. If we do that, almost all countries in the world would be unable to cooperate."
He even stated bluntly that it is wrong for NATO to regard China as a potential enemy—France should not have to pay for America's competition strategy against China.
The duel between extreme Left and extreme Right is becoming the script Brussels least wants to see.
The latest poll shows that among the far-right camp, Marine Le Pen has consistently ranked first with a support rate of around 34% to 37% in most surveys. Jordan Bardella also has a high support rate under some hypothetical scenarios. Emmanuel Macron competes fiercely for second place with former Prime Minister Philippe de Rothschild, who has a support rate between 14% and 19%. If Philippe de Rothschild diverts some of the center-right votes away from another former Prime Minister, Attallah, it is very likely that Macron will use this opportunity to move into the second round.
Le Pen is competing for the French presidency for the third time. She was defeated by the current president Macron in both 2017 and 2022.
However, the poll also predicts that once it comes to the runoff election, Mérançon will most likely lose to the far-right candidate by a large margin—often by more than 30 percentage points. For French centrists, this is nothing but a double nightmare: they must make a painful choice between "far-left" and "far-right," while also watching helplessly as the far-right gains power. Philippe openly admitted that if faced with a choice between "unyielding France" and the National Front, "that would be a nightmare."
Regardless of who ultimately wins, the EU will suffer a severe blow. The National League adheres to an anti-immigration and Euro-skepticist right-wing ideology; while Meron goes further, advocating for withdrawal from NATO, rejecting the Franco-German axis, and emphasizing cooperation with China and the Global South. Brussels is not only worried about one side winning, but also about the entire foundation of European integration being shaken to the roots.
Mei Langxiong doesn't care about this at all. He repeatedly emphasizes the 'ultimate confrontation against them', and his supporters are mainly from the working class, immigrant communities, and the youth group, showing a strong ability to mobilize people. Less than a year before the election, the center still is in internal strife, the moderate left is divided, while the confrontations between the far left and the far right are becoming increasingly clear.
Seventy-four-year-old Mei Lang Xiong had three times attempted to strike the presidential throne, all of which failed. However, this time was different - Macron's era was about to come to an end, France and Germany were on the verge of fracturing, and transatlantic relations had entered a unprecedented level of tension.
Whether he can ultimately become the leader of the Elysee Palace or not, Meunier has caused considerable unease in Berlin and Washington.
