Le Pen vs Mélenchon: how alike are they?

In brief

How do Le Pen and Mélenchon differ?

Marine Le Pen (Rassemblement National) and Jean-Luc Mélenchon (La France Insoumise) disagree on more test statements than they agree on, among those where both have a sourced position, but they share many positions on social policy and institutions. Both want the legal retirement age to go back to 62 or lower, all pensions to rise at least in line with inflation, the 35-hour week to stay, VAT on electricity, gas and motor fuel to be cut, a wealth tax to be brought back and a large increase in funding for public hospitals; both oppose paying unemployment benefits for a shorter time. They also want to give French law precedence over European law, leave NATO’s integrated command, scrap low-emission zones, elect members of the National Assembly by proportional representation and create a citizens’ initiative referendum (RIC). They are opposed on immigration: Le Pen wants to abolish birthright citizenship and suspend family reunification, and opposes legal status for undocumented workers and keeping State medical aid (AME), while Mélenchon takes the opposite view. They also differ on energy, as she wants new nuclear reactors and no further wind power and he takes the opposite view; on a presumption of self-defence for police officers, compulsory school uniform and banning girls under 18 from wearing the headscarf in public spaces, which she supports; and on legalising cannabis, assisted dying and a minimum wage of at least 1,600 euros a month after deductions, which he supports.

This summary is based on the candidates’ documented positions on the test statements; the source of each position is on each candidate’s page. Updated 19/10/2026.