French presidential hopeful Melenchon pledges minimum wage rise, retirement at 60

By Mathieu Rosemain

PARIS, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Jean-Luc Melenchon, the hard-left French presidential hopeful, will pledge to raise the minimum wage and restore the country's retirement age to 60 when he launches his 2027 election programme on Saturday.

Melenchon, 75, is viewed as the strongest contender on the left and recent opinion polls have shown him reaching the presidential runoff next April against Marine Le Pen on the far-right, but also indicate he would lose in the second round.

His manifesto, titled "L'Avenir en commun" ("A Shared Future"), is the fifth edition of the platform of his party, France Unbowed (LFI), and largely reaffirms policies that have formed the backbone of Melenchon's previous presidential bids.

Among its flagship pledges is the repeal of President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform, which gradually raised France's minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 in an effort to shore up public finances.

LFI says it would restore retirement at 60 for people who have contributed to the system for 40 years.

The programme also calls for increasing the net monthly minimum wage to €1,700 from around €1,480 and includes plans to abolish the flat tax on capital income, raise taxes on the wealthiest households and cap prices for essential foods.

LFI also reiterates its support for a gradual phase-out of nuclear power in favour of a fully renewable electricity system, including scrapping the planned EPR2 reactor programme and not extending the lifespan of nuclear plants beyond 60 years.

On foreign policy, Melenchon's programme reiterates his long-standing criticism of NATO and calls for France's gradual withdrawal from the alliance, starting with an exit from its integrated military command.

It also criticises German influence on European Union economic policy, describing Berlin as Europe's chief defender of "ordoliberalism", an economic philosophy centred on strict budget rules, price stability and independent monetary policy.

The programme calls for greater protection of domestic industry, including measures to encourage the relocation of production to France, and advocates a more interventionist role for the state in the economy.