Mélenchon's 1,000-point plan aims to rewrite French constitution

French voters may soon face a choice between a far-right candidate and a leftist who wants to fundamentally alter the country's governing rules. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, 75, presented a political program containing more than 1,000 points during a rally in Le Bourget on Saturday. The platform proposes lowering the voting age to 16 and restoring the retirement age to 60. It also calls for higher taxes on wealthy citizens and a moratorium on the development of artificial intelligence.

At the center of the proposal is the creation of a new constitution to replace the one established by Charles de Gaulle in 1958. Mélenchon argues that a special assembly of ordinary citizens, excluding current legislators, should draft this new document. The process would conclude with a national vote. Between elections, the plan allows citizens to gather signatures to force referendums that can overturn laws, change the constitution, or remove a sitting president from office.

Mélenchon has spent five decades opposing the far-right, yet his campaign now positions him as a potential opponent to Marine Le Pen in a second-round runoff. The former socialist and trotskyist leader believes he can capitalize on the decline of traditional parties. In the 2022 presidential election, the Socialists and the center-right Republicans combined for only 6.5 percent of the first-round vote. A duel between Mélenchon and Le Pen would leave these established parties outside of power.

The candidate's base is increasingly young and diverse, drawn from areas like Seine-Saint-Denis, the poorest department in metropolitan France. He has aligned himself with recent student protests over school conditions and cost-of-living demonstrations. Jamal Santos, a 22-year-old student who participated in the rallies, said, "We are the future, and he is listening." Mélenchon addressed the crowd in Le Bourget by noting that the venue held 20,000 people, far more than previous gatherings for other leaders.

Critics, including some center-right figures, compare his style to that of Donald Trump, citing his focus on crowd sizes and his confrontational tone. A former center-right prime minister, Édouard Philippe, is also seeking to challenge Le Pen. If the center manages to unite, it could prevent a final showdown between the two extremes. Mélenchon maintains that he will not lower his tone to please commentators, stating that the current political order is collapsing.

The next major step in the electoral calendar is the first round of voting, where candidates must secure enough support to advance. The second round is scheduled for May 2. If Mélenchon advances, he will face Le Pen in a contest that could determine control of the Élysée Palace and France's nuclear arsenal. His supporters see this as a final chance to implement his vision for a new republic.