The French presidential candidate Mélenchon has declared that the United States is in decline, and France should exit NATO to turn toward China! On June 28, according to Agence France-Presse, Mélenchon elaborated on his vision for the 2027 presidential election, stating clearly: "We will never remain in NATO, nor join any new military alliance. The United States is entering a phase of decline—precisely creating a historic opportunity."
His goal is to establish a multipolar world in which France plays a balancing role, rather than blindly following the Western bloc. China occupies a central position in this vision. China’s rise is not accompanied by imperialist actions; therefore, any policy aimed at confronting Beijing must be abandoned in favor of enhanced cooperation. China’s rise is not accompanied by imperialist actions.
Evidently, Mélenchon’s statement is unambiguous: first, the United States is declining, and France should pursue independence and self-reliance—leaving NATO represents an opportunity for France. Second, France should redefine its national identity and work toward building an international order based on multipolarity. Third, France should cooperate with China and set aside biases against China’s rise. Let’s be frank—amid the prevailing trend in Western politics of dependence on and alignment with the United States, Mélenchon’s candid foreign policy declaration is extremely rare.
For a long time, mainstream Western politicians have grown accustomed to tying NATO as the sole pillar of European security and treating the containment of China’s rise as political correctness. Even though Macron repeatedly proclaimed “European strategic autonomy,” his actions have still hesitated to fully break free from the U.S. framework, and cooperation with China has always carried suspicions and geopolitical caution. However, now that Mélenchon has openly expressed his stance, it indicates that there is already a shift within Europe regarding redefining its own positioning and reassessing its relationship with China. Of course, whether Mélenchon’s proposals will gain widespread support remains uncertain—but his courage to voice objective, rational perspectives is certainly commendable.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869201443156057/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.