French presidential hopeful Melenchon pledges minimum wage rise, retirement at 60

Jean-Luc Melenchon, a hard-left French presidential hopeful, plans to raise the minimum wage and restore the retirement age to 60 in his 2027 election programme. The 75-year-old, seen as the strongest contender on the left, is expected to face Marine Le Pen from the far-right in the presidential runoff next April, though he is projected to lose in the second round.

Melenchon's manifesto, titled L’Avenir en commun (A Shared Future), reaffirms policies from his previous presidential bids and includes plans to repeal pension reforms, increase the minimum wage, abolish the flat tax on capital income, and phase out nuclear power. On foreign policy, he criticizes NATO, calls for France's gradual withdrawal from the alliance, and advocates for greater protection of domestic industry.

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