The Council of State rejected on Friday, February 27, La France Insoumise (LFI)'s appeal against its classification as 'far left' by the Interior Ministry for the March 2026 municipal elections. This expected decision confirms a circular signed on February 2 by Minister Laurent Nuñez, which removes LFI from the 'left bloc.' Jean-Luc Mélenchon's movement denounces it as a political maneuver.
The Council of State, France's highest administrative court, issued its ruling on February 27, 2026, confirming the classification of La France Insoumise (LFI) as 'far left' and the Union des droites pour la République (UDR), Eric Ciotti's party, as 'far right' for the municipal elections on March 15 and 22. Both parties had appealed to the Council against the Interior Ministry's decision.
This classification is based on a February 2 circular signed by Laurent Nuñez, which reclassifies LFI—founded in 2016 and previously categorized as left—due to its program of breaking with capitalism, links to far-left parties, strong challenges to judicial authority, systematic accusations against the police, and calls for civil disobedience. The minister stated: 'We do not tamper with political labels,' acknowledging that LFI distances itself from republican universalist values by prioritizing community and identity aspects.
LFI, which defines itself as radical left, contested its removal from the 'left bloc' shared with the Socialist Party, Ecologists, and French Communist Party. Coordinator Manuel Bompard called it a 'trick' and regretted that the judges did not denounce the politicized use of labels by the Macronist power. Jean-Luc Mélenchon reacted on X, denouncing a 'banana republic' where Nuñez disrupts electoral public order 'in a Trump-like manner.'
The judges find no manifest error in this classification, given the political situation and observed alliances. Political labels are freely chosen by the parties, and the Council had previously upheld a similar decision for the National Rally in March 2024.
