Dunno. I could only go with what was on screen. I don't pay much attention to French internal politics.
I asked Gemini to translate it into English - not checked for accuracy... but looks reasonable at first glance. Looks pretty much dictated by Putin.
Mélenchon Wants to Bring Russia Back into the "European Concert" and Reopen Nord Stream Pipelines
The leader of La France Insoumise (LFI) also called for a vote in the Donbas and southern Ukraine to determine the will of the local populations regarding their territorial future.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of
La France Insoumise, proposed on Wednesday to "bring Russia back into the European concert" and expressed his desire to see the Nord Stream gas pipelines "restarted."
Now more than ever in the pre-campaign for the 2027 presidential election, the LFI founder held a press conference—attended by the international media—lasting over an hour and a half before LFI elected officials and activists.
"We do not accept the idea that Russia is expelled from Europe"
"Nord Stream must be put back into operation, and those who sabotaged it must be arrested and punished. Restoring Nord Stream means an immediate drop in energy prices in Europe," explained the
Insoumis leader, who has frequently been accused of complacency toward Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine—a charge he denies.
"The question of ceding [Ukrainian] territories to Russia is being raised," he continued. "Whether they are ceded or not... there must be a vote. We must vote in the Donbas and the southern zone of Ukraine so we know what the populations want," he insisted.
"We do not accept the idea that Russia is expelled from Europe," the radical left leader summarized, echoing General de Gaulle's famous vision of a Europe stretching "from the Atlantic to the Urals."
"Non-alignment"
Mr. Mélenchon spoke in front of the French flag and the UN flag, notably absent was the European Union flag.
"The conditions have never been better to explain why non-alignment makes a privileged partnership with China and India both necessary and possible. These are, of course, regimes that do not suit us," he stated, at a time when LFI members are often criticized for their refusal to label the Beijing government a "dictatorship."
