Critics of French left-winger Jean-Luc Mélenchon have repeatedly claimed that he’s finished. But as he launches his latest presidential campaign, his popularity among working-class and minority voters is again making him a real contender.

On Sunday, 26,000 people came to see Jean-Luc Mélenchon launch his 2027 presidential bid. While liberal pundits call Mélenchon unelectable, their proposals for another left-wing candidate offer a milquetoast progressivism that inspires few voters.