New York Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani Inspires French Left as Elections Loom
NEW YORK - Zohran mamdani, a Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City, is drawing attention from La France Insoumise (LFI), the left-wing political party in France, as he appeals to Gen Z voters through a savvy social media strategy. Mamdani, son of filmmaker Mira Nair who won an award at Cannes in 1988 for Hello Bombay!, utilizes platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube with humorous videos, attracting a following among New York’s influencers and garnering support for his campaign.
The interest from LFI stems from Mamdani’s success in mobilizing younger voters, a demographic crucial to their own political goals. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of LFI, has also recognized the power of new technologies, boasting 2.7 million TikTok followers – significantly more than his French political rivals Gabriel Attal and Jordan bardella, both with 2.2 million.
However, political scientist Christophe Sente of the Free University of Brussels cautions against direct comparisons, stating, “it would be misleading to equate the Democratic Party with the French or european left. Thes are two different traditions, two different party systems.” He further notes this is the first time the French left has looked to radical politics in the United States for inspiration, traditionally aligning more with social liberalism.
LFI views Mamdani’s campaign as an prospect to build international solidarity and demonstrate the global appeal of their political proposals. The party has previously celebrated the elections of Lula in Brazil and Claudia Sheinbaum in Mexico. A victory for Mamdani in New York would be particularly notable, given upcoming municipal elections in France in five months, offering potential lessons for LFI’s own campaign strategies. Manon Aubry, a member of the European Parliament for LFI, recently visited new York to “exchange with campaign teams” and share experiences.
Despite past criticisms of U.S. foreign policy, LFI acknowledges that a win for Mamdani would reshape the political landscape and perhaps necessitate a reassessment of their views on the United States.
