The leader of the France Unbowed movement (La France Insoumise) has declared his intention to withdraw France from NATO if he is elected president.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon made the announcement during an interview with LCI news channel on Friday, stressing that the alliance primarily serves to position Europe under the influence of the United States.

“If I am president, France will leave NATO,” he said, noting that the military alliance’s primary function is “placing us under the supervision of the United States.”

Mélenchon, a long-time critic of NATO, further stated that distancing France from the alliance aligns with the nation’s “historic line.”

He referenced former President Charles de Gaulle’s decision in the late 1960s to withdraw France from NATO’s integrated military command.

The presidential hopeful also criticized former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s controversial 2009 decision to reintegrate France into NATO’s command structure.

Mélenchon’s proposed withdrawal from NATO would be approached in phases, beginning with France exiting the alliance’s integrated military command.

He also indicated plans to distance France from joint military equipment programs with the US military.

Mélenchon’s announcement comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions and ongoing debates surrounding Europe’s defense autonomy and military spending, as well as the continent’s reliance on US security assurances.

Mélenchon officially announced his candidacy for the French presidency on May 3.