A NEW EUROPE?! Melenchon's Plan for Europe

Summary

The video examines Jean-Luc Mélenchon and La France Insoumise (LFI) on a scale of European integration, from 0 (little or no EU) to 10 (a federal Europe). It concludes that LFI’s European ambitions are undermined by its emphasis on French national priorities and its willingness to defy EU rules.

Migration

LFI proposes greater responsibility-sharing among EU countries for asylum applications, safer legal routes for asylum seekers, and replacing Frontex with a European civil rescue agency. It opposes the EU migration pact’s border detention and accelerated procedures, as well as payments to non-EU countries to control migration.

Trade, industry, and energy

LFI favors protecting European production from goods made under weaker labor or environmental standards. It would reconsider trade agreements, prioritize French and then European suppliers in public procurement, and potentially impose import taxes based on production standards.

On energy, LFI wants France to leave the EU electricity market while keeping cross-border connections. The video warns that this could affect electricity prices elsewhere in Europe. LFI also supports a transition to fully renewable energy by 2050 and phasing out nuclear power.

Economic policy

LFI supports new EU-level taxes, including taxes on wealth, excess profits, and financial transactions. It also wants to remove EU limits on public deficits and debt and end the European Central Bank’s independence so it could directly finance governments.

Mélenchon has called for writing off some French public debt held by the Bank of France and cancelling debt linked to the EU recovery plan. The presenter characterizes this economic approach as a potential risk to the European project.

Defense and foreign policy

LFI supports increased European arms production and closer military cooperation. It proposes that a European mutual-defense arrangement could eventually replace NATO as the basis for collective security, while preserving national vetoes in foreign and defense policy. LFI also opposes further EU enlargement until candidates meet stricter standards.

The party’s program condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and calls for Russian troops to leave. The video contrasts this with Mélenchon’s 2025 remarks suggesting that Putin had won the war and questioning Volodymyr Zelensky’s legitimacy.

EU institutions

LFI wants to strengthen the European Parliament by giving it the right to propose legislation and greater oversight of the Commission, including the power to dismiss individual commissioners. It also supports transnational election lists, stronger sanctions against governments that violate fundamental rights, and rewriting EU treaties.

Disobedience and overall rating

The video identifies LFI’s strategy of “disobedience” as a central concern: the party would first negotiate with other member states to change EU rules, but implement its policies anyway if negotiations failed. The presenter argues that this could encourage other countries to disregard EU rules, creating broader instability.

Although LFI supports some forms of European solidarity and democratic reform, the presenter gives Mélenchon 2 out of 10 for European integration—the same score given to Marine Le Pen’s National Rally. The score reflects LFI’s national priorities, retained vetoes, Mélenchon’s statements on Ukraine, and the risk of defying EU rules.

Presenter: Paul, the French-channel host; no surname given.