France’s leader of the hard left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has asked voters to "elect him prime minister" during upcoming legislative polls in June – after he placed a close third in round one of the presidentials.
Speaking for the first time since his 10 April defeat, Mélenchon on Tuesday appeared on BFMTV to launch his campaign to win the election’s “third round”, and make him a housemate to the future tenant of the Elysée Palace.
The move, he said, would resolve the paradox for the 49 percent of voters who felt they had no real choice in Sunday's election runoff between incumbent Emmanuel Macron and far right candidate Marine Le Pen.
"I ask the French to elect me prime minister. I ask them to elect a majority of MPs from France Unbowed,” he said, referring to his political party.
“And I call on all those who want to join the popular union (of the left) to join us in this beautiful battle.”
Power play
During his TV appearance, which comes five days before the runoff, Mélenchon reminded voters it was the prime minister and not the president who signed off on government decrees.
"I would be prime minister not by the favour or grace of Mr Macron or Madame Le Pen, but because the French will have wanted it,” he said.
"If it does not suit the president then they can go, I will not.”
Failing at the gates of the second round, Mélenchon collected 22 percent of the presidential ballot – leaving him just 420,000 votes behind Le Pen.
He’s now hoping the National Assembly will allow him to apply his programme of blocking centre-right legislation, adding that whoever becomes the future president was “quite secondary” to his mission.
Courting the left
The only way for Mélenchon to succeed is if he’s able to collect votes from the entire left-wing electorate, which accounted for some 11.2 million votes in the first round.
"Do not cultivate rancour: no settling of scores, no revenge, no acrimony. Come together, because the 11.2 million can become 12, 13, 14 million and be the centre of gravity of the country," Mélenchon said.
Concerning the presidential runoff on 24 April, most supporters of France Unbowed say they intend to cast a blank ballot.
An internal party poll showed some 33 percent planned to support Macron, while 29 percent would abstain. The option of voting for Le Pen was not offered.
Following his first round defeat, Mélenchon repeatedly implored his troops not to give "a single vote to Madame Le Pen”.
While not offering his support to Macron, unlike many other candidates, Mélenchon did however urge his voters not to abstain.
