Activist’s death exposes France’s deepening political fault lines Presidential candidate Mélenchon under fire

Three-time hard-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon is facing mounting criticism from political opponents ahead of crucial municipal elections next month, following the death of a 23-year-old activist near a university in Lyon where a conference featuring one of his closest allies was being held.

The activist, Quentin Deranque, was fatally beaten after becoming involved in a fight outside a university event in Lyon, the country’s third-largest city, as per foreign media reports.

The conference featured MEP Rima Hassan, a prominent and polarising member of Mélenchon’s party, La France Insoumise (France Unbowed). Hassan is well known in France for her outspoken positions on Israel and Palestinian statehood.

In the aftermath of Deranque’s death, several far-right and ultra-right groups have publicly mourned him and announced demonstrations in his honour.

The French femonationalist organization Nemesis said on X that Deranque had been present to help ensure the group’s security as it protested the event. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Monday that members of the Young Guard — a local anti-fascist group with links to France Unbowed — appear to have been involved in the altercation.

The Young Guard was co-founded in Lyon in 2018 by Raphaël Arnault, now an MP for France Unbowed, as a response to what organisers described as a strong presence of extreme far-right groups in the city. In June, the Interior Ministry ordered the group’s dissolution, arguing that “in support of an anti-fascist ideology, ‘the Young Guard’ incites violent acts.” The group is contesting that decision in court, backed by France Unbowed and civil liberties organisations.

One of Arnault’s aides, Jacques-Elie Favrot, has denied any involvement in Deranque’s killing but announced he would step back from his political duties while authorities investigate. Yaël Braun-Pivet, president of the National Assembly, said Favrot’s parliamentary access would be suspended. Nuñez declined to confirm reports of Favrot’s alleged role when questioned in a Monday interview.

Beyond the immediate circumstances of the fight, critics have accused Mélenchon’s forceful rhetoric of contributing to a more polarised political climate, though often without citing specific statements. Mélenchon and his allies reject those claims, emphasising that he consistently advocates a nonviolent “civic revolution” achieved through elections rather than confrontation.

In his interview, Nuñez warned that “radicalness in speech” can translate into “violence in the streets.” Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin went further on Sunday, attributing the attack to “political rhetoric, particularly that of France Unbowed and the ultra-left.” Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said the party bore a “moral responsibility” for fostering what she described as a “climate of violence.”

Speaking Sunday at a campaign event in Montpellier in support of a local candidate, Mélenchon expressed “empathy for the family of young Quentin,” adding that for France Unbowed, “nonviolence is a fundamental philosophical choice. Violence stunts our movements and brings fear that spreads.”

Hassan said Friday, February 13, that she had been “horrified” by news of the attack. “Whenever I travel, the only security service I work with and who accompany me is that of France Unbowed, which never resorts to violence and is in no way involved in these clashes,” she said.

President Emmanuel Macron reacted on X by writing, “In a republic, no cause, no ideology can ever justify killing,” without naming any group or political party.

In a separate interview recorded before Deranque’s death, Macron described France Unbowed as a “far-left” movement — a label disputed by the party, other left-wing figures, and some political scientists — and said some of its positions “contradicted the values of the republic.”

Mélenchon has also received limited public backing. Green MP Sandrine Rousseau argued that France Unbowed was the target of a “cabal.” Meanwhile, Michel-Edouard Leclerc, head of a major grocery chain and sometimes mentioned as a potential future presidential candidate, defended Mélenchon.

“Jean-Luc Mélenchon is loud-mouthed, but he is not violent,” Leclerc said. “We cannot blame him for the death of this activist.”

By Tamilla Hasanova