He relied on the precedent, among others, of the United Kingdom which had used the "opt-out" clause, provided for by the treaties, to refuse the supervision of working time.

Mr. Mélenchon thus operates a change compared to 2017, when he provided for a “plan B” of exit from the treaties in the event of failure of their renegotiation.

From now on, "we are attacking the treaties on the points which block us", such as the statute of the European Central Bank (ECB) and the budgetary rules.

On these two themes, "we are going to convene two conferences so as not to brutalize anyone and refuse a pure and simple confrontation of the French with the rest of Europe", explained Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

"It does not change the goal, Europe will have to get out of the treaties which are no longer suitable", he underlined.

The "opt-out" approach is intended to be less "aggressive": "We are not attacking the EU by saying + throw your treaties out the window, you do what you want but so do we +", unrolled the former MEP.

Asked on Tuesday in an interview with Le Monde about his change from 2017, when he was considering a plan B to exit the treaties and the euro zone, Jean-Luc Mélenchon replied: "We have no interest in economic and political chaos. which would result from an aggressive position on the part of France. I don't see how we would do it, given our foreign trade deficit".

"We have in our ranks people who are able to negotiate and have a deep knowledge of the European Union," he said, quoting MEPs Manon Aubry, Younous Omarjee and Manuel Bompard.

"We will practice the clause of social non-regression, each time a (European) measure leads to the reduction" of national rights: "We do not agree to be stripped in the field of social conquests".

Mr. Mélenchon also intends to apply the “opt-out” to “free trade agreements and all those relating to new memberships”.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon during a press conference at the European Parliament, in Strasbourg on January 18, 2022 PATRICK HERTZOG AFP

The professor of public law at the University of Paris-Saclay Jean-Paul Markus recalls, on January 11 in a post on the blog "Les Surligneurs", that "the possible opt-outs are provided for in protocols annexed to the treaties, and negotiated under the same conditions".

To obtain new “opt-outs”, “it will be necessary to obtain the agreement of the other States”, adds the lawyer.

In his plan sent to the press, Jean-Luc Mélenchon says he is counting on the "rarity" of European sanctions and on France's status as the second net contributor among the Member States.

© 2022 AFP