Mélenchon says France would exit NATO if elected president

Jean-Luc Mélenchon has said that France would withdraw from NATO if he is elected president, arguing that the alliance primarily serves US strategic interests.

Speaking in an interview with French media outlet LCI, Mélenchon said the North Atlantic Treaty Organization serves “only one thing: placing us under the supervision of the United States,” according to his remarks, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

The founder of the France Unbowed (LFI) movement said that leaving NATO aligns with what he described as France’s historic foreign policy tradition, referencing earlier decisions by former president Charles de Gaulle, who distanced France from NATO’s integrated military command.

Mélenchon also criticized the 2009 decision under former president Nicolas Sarkozy to reintegrate France into NATO’s command structure, calling for a reversal of that policy.

He outlined a gradual approach, saying France would first exit NATO’s integrated military command before reducing participation in joint defense programs with the United States.

The comments come amid broader debates in Europe over defense independence, military spending, and reliance on US security guarantees, particularly in the context of rising global geopolitical tensions.

Mélenchon officially announced his presidential candidacy on May 3, signaling a campaign likely to focus heavily on foreign policy and European strategic autonomy.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada