French presidential hopeful Melenchon pledges minimum wage rise, retirement at 60

PARIS: Jean-Luc Melenchon, the hard-left French presidential hopeful, will pledge to raise the minimum wage and restore the country’s retirement age to 60 when he launches his 2027 election program on Saturday.

Melenchon, 75, is viewed as the strongest contender on the left and recent opinion polls have shown him reaching the presidential runoff next April against Marine Le Pen on the far-right, but also indicate he would ⁠lose in the ⁠second round.

His manifesto, titled “L’Avenir en commun” (“A Shared Future“), is the fifth edition of the platform of his party, France Unbowed (LFI), and largely reaffirms policies that have formed the backbone of Melenchon’s previous presidential bids.