Mélenchon vows to disobey EU rules in election manifesto, setting up clash with Brussels

French leftist presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon has proposed a radical overhaul of European Union rules that would set him on a collision course with Brussels.

The plan was set out in his presidential platform unveiled on Friday. Mélenchon has enjoyed a recent surge in the polls ahead of the 2027 election.

According to the manifesto from Mélenchon's France Unbowed, implementing his programme will "require a confrontation with European institutions".

The manifesto also says he would disobey current EU rules that would prevent him from implementing his platform if elected.

Proposing a "new deal" for Europe, Mélenchon wants to redraft the treaties, ditch core parts of the EU's rulebook — including debt and deficit limits — suspend competition rules for public services such as energy, transport and telecoms, and loosen state aid laws.

"We will immediately implement our program at the national level. This will therefore require a confrontation with European institutions," the manifesto says.

"Our logic is simple. As long as a deal on changing the treaties is not done, we negotiate with our partners and disobey blocking rules in parallel. If we get to an agreement, it will be put to a referendum," the manifesto adds.

The proposals would likely face tough opposition from France's partners in the European Council, which is currently dominated by more conservative leaders.

The manifesto also says the European Central Bank should be "placed under democratic control and mobilized to fund the ecological and social transition".

Mélenchon triggered a flurry of criticism earlier this year when he said he would "set fire" to a large chunk of France's public debt held by the ECB, setting off a nationwide debate on the subject.