 He has been compared to Marine Le Pen in terms of debating style; political scientist Dominique Reynié even went as far as to say he "flirts with xenophobia when it helps him".Mélenchon has himself his vision of populism, which he sees as positive if it comes with a left ideology.He is inspired by the philosopher Chantal Mouffe, who sought to theorise and rehabilitate the term "left populism".