But Mélenchon has overcome controversies before. In 2019, weakened by footage of a furious Mélenchon clashing with police raiding his movement's offices as part of an investigation into his campaign finances, the LFI barely got above 6 percent in the EU elections. Three years later, he managed to win a majority of the French left-wing votes during the presidential elections and almost reached the second round, allowing him to head a united left-wing alliance in the following parliamentary elections.
Antoine Léaument, a member of parliament for the LFI and a close Mélenchon ally, said he believed attacks against the radical left could work to the movement's advantage.
Over the past week, two key party figures have been summoned by police to investigate allegations of “glorification of terrorism” in connection with statements about Israel's war in Gaza. According to a statement from the LFI parliamentary group, the October 7 Hamas attack came “against the backdrop of the intensification of Israel's occupation policy”; The LFI called for an immediate ceasefire.
Politicians across party lines on the left have expressed concern that the investigations could set a precedent statutory fee.
“Our voters can use this election as revenge,” he argued. “The more we are unfairly targeted, the more our supporters across the country will want to prove that these attacks are ineffective.”
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