French far-left presidential candidate "restores retirement age to 60 and withdraws from NATO"

France's leading presidential candidate, Jean-Luc Mélenchon (75), leader of France Unbowed (LFI), announces a presidential election pledge that includes raising the minimum wage, lowering the retirement age, and withdrawing from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Reuters reported that Representative Mélenchon will unveil a book of pledges titled “L’Avenir en commun” (“Common Future”) containing these promises on the 7th (local time) ahead of next year’s French presidential election.

Mélenchon, the leader of the far-left LFI, who is considered the most competitive candidate in the left camp, is expected to face Marine Le Pen, the candidate of the far-right National Coalition (RN), in a runoff election in next year's presidential election to select President Emmanuel Macron's successor. According to recent opinion polls, he is expected to lose to Le Pen in the runoff election.

According to Reuters, in this book of pledges, which is also LFI's fifth policy platform, CEO Mélenchon put forward as a representative pledge a plan to abolish President Macron's pension reform, which decided to gradually raise France's statutory minimum retirement age from 62 to 64, and return the retirement age to 60. The retirement age of 60 will be reapplied to those who have paid pensions for 40 years.

In addition, it also included a promise to increase the after-tax minimum wage, which is currently around 1,480 euros (about 2.25 million won), by about 15% to 1,700 euros (about 2.58 million won).

In addition, it proposed abolishing the flat rate tax on capital income, raising taxes on the highest-income households, and setting a cap on the prices of essential foods.

In addition, the existing position of gradually reducing nuclear power generation and switching to renewable energy was reaffirmed. To this end, the construction project for the EPR2 nuclear reactor, the next-generation nuclear power plant, will be canceled and the operation life of the nuclear power plant will not be extended beyond 60 years.

In foreign policy, it included maintaining the existing critical stance toward the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and pursuing a gradual withdrawal from NATO, starting with the withdrawal of the NATO Unified Forces Command.

In addition, Reuters reported that it criticized Germany's influence on the European Union (EU) economic policy and declared to strengthen protection policies for domestic industries, such as encouraging the relocation of overseas production facilities to France.

Meanwhile, Representative Mélenchon, whose approval rating has been on the rise as he continues to encourage the large-scale protests that have been shaking French society in recent weeks, plans to participate in the large-scale protests held on this day and deliver a speech, AFP reported.