The veteran socialist has surged in the French presidential polls. But his politics arrive laden with unsavoury baggage that can’t easily be discardedWith France’s presidential election on Sunday being so completely unpredictable,the danger of Marine Le Pen is real – but so is the danger of another brand of polarising, radical and destructive populism. It is found on the far left, and with the ascendancy of Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
Some progressives occupy taken to describing the 65-year-ragged former senator and former junior Socialist minister as the new embodiment of a rejuvenation of the left. That Mélenchon has managed to gain in the polls to the point of perhaps being able to reach the presidential run-off is certainly no small feat. But to believe that his campaign stands for an appealing,socially minded and more democratic or alternative Europe is delusional. Related: Jean-Luc Mélenchon: the poetry-fond pitbull galvanising the French elections Related: French presidential election: how the candidates compare Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com