Leftist Melenchon will give Assange French citizenship
JEAN-LUC MELENCHON, the French Leftist leading an alliance set to make major gains in parliament, yesterday pledged to grant Wikileaks founder Julian Assange French nationality if his coalition clinches a majority tomorrow.
Mr Assange, 50, is wanted in the US for allegedly violating the Espionage Act by publishing military and diplomatic files in 2010, and could face a 175year jail sentence if found guilty.
Ahead of voting tomorrow, Mr Mélenchon was asked about Mr Assange’s extradition to the US, which Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, approved yesterday, to the dismay of his supporters and free-press campaigners.
“If I am prime minister on Monday, Mr Julian Assange – I believe he has already asked for it – will be naturalised as French and we will ask for him to be sent to us,” Mr Mélenchon told reporters. “Mr Assange should be decorated for all his services to French people.” Mr Mélenchon’s Left-green coalition, the New Popular, Environmental and Social Union, or NUPES, is hoping for a majority after tomorrow’s vote, which could lead to the 70-yearold ex-trotskyist being named prime minister.
Polls yesterday from the Elabe, Ifopfiducial and Ipsos companies indicated Macron’s “Ensemble” (Together) coalition was on track for 255-305 seats on Sunday, uncertain of securing the 289 needed for a majority.
“The vote is extremely open and it would be improper to say that things are settled one way or the other,” Mr Melenchon told reporters as he campaigned in Paris.mr Mélenchon’s call was designed to heap embarrassment
‘If I am prime minister on Monday, Julian Assange will be naturalised as French and will be sent to us’
on Mr Macron because Eric Dupondmoretti, his justice minister, was the Wikileaks founder’s former lawyer.
Indeed, in February 2020, he requested the French president grant his client political asylum, calling Mr Assange’s possible sentence “shameful, unbearable and contrary to the idea everyone has of human rights”.
However, when the French parliament debated a motion on granting such asylum in February, it was defeated after failing to win enough support from pro-macron MPS.