The French government (specifically the conseil d’État) has stated that neither Mélenchon nor his party La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) are far-left. Their stated goals for governing are comparable to Mitterand or FDR - social democrats.
It’s this kind of framing by press that maintains the kind of hostility towards the press that OP has noted in a sibling comment.
C’est la première fois que le mouvement de Jean-Luc Mélenchon, qui se définit comme de gauche radicale, est classé à l’extrême gauche depuis sa création en 2016. Au même titre que Lutte ouvrière (LO) ou le Nouveau parti anticapitaliste (NPA). La France insoumise, même si elle porte un programme de rupture avec le capitalisme et entretient des liens avec des partis d’extrême gauche, était jusqu’à présent classée à gauche, à l’instar du Parti communiste (PC), comme l’avait confirmé une décision du Conseil d’Etat en 2024.
In 2024, they were declared simply “to the left”. In 2026, the interior ministry decided to reclassify them. So, we’re both technically right. Not to mention, the interior ministry is headed by a dude who has called Marine Le Pen “soft” in the past and is vociferously anti-left.
The French government (specifically the conseil d’État) has stated that neither Mélenchon nor his party La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) are far-left. Their stated goals for governing are comparable to Mitterand or FDR - social democrats.
It’s this kind of framing by press that maintains the kind of hostility towards the press that OP has noted in a sibling comment.
(the conseil d’État) has stated that neither Mélenchon nor his party La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) are far-left
This is literally false
https://www.nouvelobs.com/politique/20260227.OBS112745/le-conseil-d-etat-confirme-la-classification-de-lfi-a-l-extreme-gauche-pour-les-municipales.html
In that same link:
In 2024, they were declared simply “to the left”. In 2026, the interior ministry decided to reclassify them. So, we’re both technically right. Not to mention, the interior ministry is headed by a dude who has called Marine Le Pen “soft” in the past and is vociferously anti-left.