Focus on Facebook for older voters

The campaign team of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of La France insoumise (LFI), is prioritizing Facebook to attract older voters, a demographic that remains highly active on the platform, as part of a digital strategy inspired by Brazil's President Lula's campaign methods.

Youth support but different platforms

An OpinionWay survey from mid-October found that nearly half of 18-24-year-olds in France would support Mélenchon in the first round of the 2027 presidential election. However, younger people are more engaged on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, while Facebook continues to dominate among the general population.

Micro-militantism on Facebook

LFI is using a method called "micro-militantism" on Facebook, encouraging supporters to engage with campaign content by commenting, sharing, or bookmarking posts. This aims to disrupt the platform's algorithms and increase visibility. A WhatsApp channel called "L'équipe de Mélenchon officielle" has been launched to assign tasks to militants, including sharing specific Facebook posts.

Inspired by Lula’s digital campaign

This strategy is modeled on the successful digital campaign of Brazil's President Lula, who was unexpectedly re-elected in 2022. Brazilian deputy André Janones played a key role in organizing a WhatsApp channel called "L'Armée de Lula," which grew rapidly during the campaign. LFI’s WhatsApp channel is expected to expand as the campaign progresses.

Reaching outside filter bubbles

Léaument emphasized the importance of getting voters out of "filter bubbles" by sharing content unrelated to LFI, such as articles from L'Humanité. Another tactic involves encouraging young people to influence their parents’ political views through what is called "reverse socialization."

Caution over blocking far-right content

A strategy inspired by Brazil’s campaign, which aimed to "invisibilize" the far right on social networks, faced criticism after a video encouraging users to block far-right accounts was shared by influencers. Brazilian deputy André Janones clarified that he never supported blocking accounts, instead advocating for ignoring posts to avoid algorithmic amplification.