Gabriel Attal and Jean-Luc Mélenchon, two candidates in the upcoming French presidential election, have exchanged sharp criticisms over the ongoing student protests in France. The dispute centers on the causes and responsibilities for the unrest, which has been ongoing for several weeks. Mélenchon, leader of the France Insoumise party, accused Attal of being "personally responsible" for part of the student revolt, citing Attal's role in creating Parcoursup, a university admissions platform. Mélenchon posted on X on October 10, criticizing Attal for what he called "consternating duplicity," noting that while Attal claims to understand the discomfort of the youth, he supports Parcoursup, which Mélenchon argues contributed to the protests. Mélenchon also pointed out that Attal "eliminated 28,000 places for entry into the bachelor's degree" and created continuous assessment alongside Jean-Michel Blanquer, which Mélenchon described as part of Attal's "old right-wing politician" approach focused on marketing rather than evaluating his own actions. He concluded by stating that "the youth deserve better." In response, Attal replied on X, directly addressing Mélenchon, stating that "the youth deserve better" than Mélenchon's "electoral strategies that make them cannon fodder." Attal accused Mélenchon of trying to set the youth "against each other" and invited him to a debate. "Stop hiding behind your social networks and your mob, come debate with me! Several media have offered us the opportunity. Project against project, vision against vision. For our youth. That is the meaning and interest of a presidential campaign," he wrote. Mélenchon responded a few hours later, rejecting the call to debate. He said, "You are too over the top and insulting. And then, you might have to step down soon for Mr. Philippe. I will see with him," referencing President Emmanuel Macron, whose former prime minister Attal was. Mélenchon is scheduled to hold a meeting in Clermont-Ferrand on Sunday, while Attal was holding a meeting in Lyon on Saturday. According to a survey by Ipsos-BVA Cesi engineering school for La Tribune, published this Sunday, 54% of French people support the student protest movement, though not all of their demands receive the same level of approval.