France's far-left presidential candidate cheers Gen Z school protests

French far-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon praised high school students for their protest movement, urging a lowering of the voting age to 16 and an end to selective university admissions during a campaign rally. Melenchon also criticized the U.S., NATO, and global finance during his speech to supporters. Meanwhile, the Socialist party chose Raphael Glucksmann as their presidential candidate in a primary election, marred by a cyberattack and internal divisions.

Next year's French presidential election will be a crucial turning point for France and Europe, with polls indicating Melenchon and center-right candidate Edouard Philippe as potential frontrunners. High school protests, fueled by issues like deteriorating facilities and teacher shortages, have energized young voters and potentially influenced the election outcome.

The movement has sometimes turned violent, leading to over 6,600 arrests and numerous injuries. Melenchon's critics claim his party is capitalizing on the protests for electoral gain, but he maintains they are against any violent actions. Melenchon proposed lowering the voting age to 16 and scrapping selective university admissions.

He also called for reducing the retirement age to 60 and canceled France's debt. Melenchon addressed younger and older voters, urging a more independent foreign policy and better relations with Russia.