Mélenchon’s allies try to temper his debt write-off rhetoric

PARIS — French presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon says he wants to set France's debt “on fire.” Now his allies are scrambling to spell out what he means. The leftist leader’s controversial plan to write off billions of euros worth of French debt, which has caused uproar among his political opponents and central bankers alike, is also prompting his economic advisors to try to soften his rhetoric. “Mélenchon’s comments sparked a reaction and fueled debate; in that sense, they were successful,” said Eric Berr, an economist with Institut La Boétie, a think tank affiliated with Mélenchon’s France Unbowed party, in an interview.