Mélenchon defends a left-wing alternative at the launch of the Pour le Peuple foundation
🔴 We are building an alternative through intellectual struggle. Watch my speech at the launch of the European foundation For The People. 👉 https://youtu.be/7l-OzKOGhwA
On April 10, 2026, Jean-Luc Mélenchon advocated in Brussels for building a political alternative through ideas, during the public launch of the European foundation « Pour le Peuple » (For the People). Behind this slogan lies a concrete objective: to provide a segment of the European left with a shared space for reflection and training.
The main fact
In his speech, Mélenchon asserts that political action cannot be limited to elections and institutions. He also wants to wage an intellectual battle: analyzing contemporary capitalism and developing alternative responses, particularly regarding ecology, democracy, and access to knowledge. This is a political orientation, not the announcement of a policy already implemented.
What happened
The foundation held its public launch on April 10, 2026, in Brussels. Its program combined presentations on the economy, digital sovereignty, and ecological planning with discussions on mobilization. Li Andersson and Clémence Guetté were presented as co-directors; Jean-Luc Mélenchon was among the speakers. His speech was subsequently published on the foundation’s website.
The context
The April « launch » does not correspond to the legal birth of the structure. According to its statutes, Pour le Peuple was established as an association under Belgian law on August 21, 2025. A European decision dated September 30, 2025, registered it as a European political foundation. It is affiliated with the European Left Alliance for Peoples and Planet, while remaining legally distinct from this party. An inaugural event could therefore take place several months after the founding acts.
Key figures
The European Parliament states that a European political foundation can apply for a grant covering up to 95% of its eligible expenses . This rule does not specify how much Pour le Peuple applied for or received. It also includes a limitation: these grants cannot finance an election campaign, a candidate, or a national party, directly or indirectly.
What the facts show
Mélenchon’s rhetoric and the foundation’s statutes follow the same line: producing analyses, organizing exchanges, and promoting alternatives to capitalism. The stakes are political, but this work of ideas must be distinguished from a program adopted by governments—and from electoral financing. The impact of this new structure will be judged by its work and activities, not solely by the strength of its launch.
Key takeaways
The « Pour le Peuple » foundation offers its promoters a European tool to defend their ideas. April 10th marked its public presentation, not its legal creation. As for the « alternative » announced by Mélenchon, it remains to be built: a foundation can open the debate, but it cannot single-handedly decide political choices.
Sources: Speech published by Jean-Luc Mélenchon ; program for the launch of Pour le Peuple ; statutes of the foundation ; European Parliament funding rules .
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