Mélenchon’s plan to beat the far right: Grab the first-time voters

PARIS — French far-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon is betting his blunt style and socially radical agenda will convince first-time voters to back him en masse and propel him into a runoff duel against far-right front-runner Marine Le Pen in 2027. After embracing similar tactics in regional elections earlier this year , Mélenchon has increasingly set himself up on the campaign trail as a foil to the anti-immigration Le Pen by embracing a vision of what he calls “a new France” that celebrates diversity rooted in immigration.