Live: Several presidential candidates expected at Lille flea market on Saturday

Lille's famous flea market is becoming a campaign stage for several contenders in France's 2027 presidential race. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Gabriel Attal and Marine Tondelier are expected to move through the event on Saturday, alongside other political figures.

Attal, Renaissance's secretary-general and a presidential candidate, is due to begin with breakfast with supporters before walking through the streets of Lille. Tondelier, the Greens' leader and a native of Pas-de-Calais, is expected to visit the market before speaking at her party's stand late in the morning. The event features about 5,000 stalls and the traditional moules-frites meals.

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national political rally

Mélenchon, the leader of La France Insoumise, is expected at around 4 p.m. to deliver a 45-minute speech on economic and social issues dominating the start of the political season. His appearance has angered parts of the local right. Louis Delemer, the Republicans' lead candidate in Lille's most recent municipal election, described it as a "national political rally" and a "platform" for LFI.

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platform

Delemer also criticized the scale of the arrangements, saying they were "out of all proportion" to the stands normally provided for political parties. The Republicans' stand is expected to host former prime minister Michel Barnier at the same time.

Attal and Mélenchon are unlikely to cross paths around a food stall, but the article presents their appearances as a long-distance contest. Both are seeking to establish a political duel that could weaken Édouard Philippe, according to the accompanying analysis.

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out of all proportion