Mélenchon demands parliamentary vote on French troop deployment to Saudi Arabia

French presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon demanded a parliamentary vote after President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday the deployment of military assets to protect Yanbu, Saudi Arabia's main Red Sea oil export terminal. Mélenchon invoked Article 35 of the Constitution, arguing France must not become a belligerent. However, that article only mandates a vote for a formal declaration of war, while foreign military interventions require only informing Parliament within three days, with authorization needed only after four months. The announcement comes amid record fuel prices linked to regional tensions, as Yanbu allows oil exports bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. No legal obligation currently forces the government to hold a parliamentary vote.