Jean‑Luc Mélenchon launches 2027 presidential campaign with massive rally in Saint‑Denis

On Sunday 7 June 2026, Jean‑Luc Mélenchon held his first campaign meeting for the 2027 French presidential election on Place Victor‑Hugo in Saint‑Denis, Seine‑Saint‑Denis. The open‑air rally, set between the city hall led by LFI mayor Bally Bagayoko and the historic basilica, attracted between 20 000 and 26 000 attendees, according to organizers and media estimates.

Mélenchon used the event to position his “Nouvelle France” vision against the far‑right Rassemblement National (RN), accusing the RN of “supremacism” that divides people by ethnicity and religion. He called for a new Sixth Republic with reduced presidential powers and warned that the current system “dominates” French society. The rally also featured support from writers Annie Ernaux (2022 Nobel laureate) and Eric Vuillard (Goncourt 2017).

Polling cited after the meeting shows Mélenchon at 13‑15 % of first‑round intentions, placing him as the leading left‑wing alternative and urging other left forces to unite behind him while excluding the Socialist Party. Observers described the gathering as a “demonstration of force” that could shape the dynamics of the 2027 presidential race.