As for retirement at 60, a “common objective” reaffirmed in the programme, it would result in a “€70 billion shortfall” and a drop in labour and growth “leading to impoverishment in France”, the finance ministry told Le Figaro.

Raising the minimum wage to €1,600 net, or €2,000 gross, could cost the public purse at least €2 billion, according to ministry officials. Moreover, raising wages would have a knock-on effect on “the trade deficit while fuelling inflation”, according to Sylvain Bersinger, the chief economist at Asterès.

The NFP proposes a 10 per cent pay rise for civil servants at a cost of around €10 billion, and free organic school meals could cost up to €3.2 billion, according to finance ministry officials.

Other measures are difficult to put a figure on, such as abolishing tax on energy bills or increasing the number of civil servants in education and health. 

Among the most emblematic measures is a proposed freeze on prices of essential goods, including food, energy and fuel. The Left insists this will not dent the state’s finances. However, the finance ministry puts the figure at €20 billion.

While the total cost is open to debate, Mr Macron’s Renaissance party put it at €287 billion, while the budget minister said it would cost €100 billion a year.

The Left intends to finance the programme by bolstering a wealth tax, abolishing a current 30 per cent flat tax and creating a windfall tax on large groups. In short, “we will ensure that we finance this very ambitious project by taking it out of the pockets of those who can afford it”, said Mr Faure.

Proposed inheritance tax could bring in the most money. In 2022, Mr Mélenchon mooted a cut-off figure of €12 million “beyond which”, he said at the time, “I’ll take everything”.