French political figure, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has declared that France would withdraw from NATO if he is elected president, insisting that the military alliance mainly serves to keep Europe under American influence.
Speaking to the LCI news channel, Melenchon said, “If I am president, France will leave NATO,” while arguing that the alliance “serves only one thing: placing us under the supervision of the United States.”
The founder of the France Unbowed movement, popularly known as LFI, reiterated his long-standing opposition to NATO, describing a more independent position as consistent with France’s historical foreign policy direction.
Melenchon also referenced France’s earlier withdrawal from NATO’s integrated military command under former President Charles de Gaulle and criticised former President Nicolas Sarkozy for returning the country to the alliance’s command structure in 2009.
“We will proceed step by step,” said Melenchon, adding that France would first leave NATO’s integrated command and distance itself from joint military equipment programs with the US army.
His comments come at a time of increasing debate across Europe over military independence, defense spending and reliance on United States security support amid rising geopolitical tensions.
Melenchon formally announced his presidential bid on May 3.
