Mélenchon wants to dismantle the Paris–Berlin axis at the heart of the EU

Germany is worried not only about Marine Le Pen but also about far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon ahead of France's presidential election. Mélenchon has long argued that the Franco-German partnership primarily serves German interests and has pledged to dismantle it if elected. Berlin fears that a victory by either candidate could destabilise the EU's core engine of integration.