Le Pen, Mélenchon and Attal clash over Ukraine, EU budget at Paris summit
At POLITICO's Playbook Paris Live event, leading French 2027 presidential contenders Le Pen, Mélenchon and Attal set out sharply different visions on Ukraine, Germany and the EU budget. Le Pen currently tops the polls.
Three leading contenders for France's 2027 presidential election — far-right leader Marine Le Pen, far-left figure Jean-Luc Mélenchon and centrist former prime minister Gabriel Attal — laid out their views on Europe, Ukraine and relations with other capitals at POLITICO's Playbook Paris Live summit in Paris on Thursday.
Divided on Ukraine
Attal argued for increased support to Ukraine, calling it an investment rather than a humanitarian expense, and backed seizing Russian assets to fund Kyiv's defense. Le Pen said France can no longer afford financial assistance to Ukraine given budget constraints, though it could continue training Ukrainian soldiers. She backed Trump's decision to invite Putin to the G20 summit in Miami in December. Both Le Pen and Mélenchon warned that supplying military equipment to Ukraine risks drawing France into a war with a nuclear power. Mélenchon called for a ban on Ukrainian strikes deep into Russian territory, saying France was becoming a belligerent. Le Pen repeated her pledge to leave NATO's integrated command once the war ends, while Mélenchon wants France out of NATO entirely but committed to defending Europe's eastern borders.
Mélenchon wary of Germany
Mélenchon reiterated opposition to Germany's military buildup, citing historical conflicts between the two countries, while insisting he is not anti-German. He argued Berlin's push to build Europe's largest conventional army is driven by economic interests, as a stronger defense sector could offset losses in Germany's struggling auto industry.
Le Pen targets EU budget and von der Leyen
Le Pen restated her pledge to sharply cut France's EU budget contribution and accused Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of trying to bypass democracy by fast-tracking multi-year budget negotiations ahead of elections next year in France, Poland, Spain and Italy.
Attal echoes Macron's line
Attal, who leads Macron's Renaissance party, pushed a strongly pro-European agenda, backing deeper economic integration and cooperation on environmental and tech regulation. He revived the idea of a "United States of Europe" as a power continent able to rival China and the U.S., proposing a multi-speed approach where a small group of countries pursue ambitious projects such as a capital markets union.
