Answer
In the first round of the 2012 French presidential election, Jean-Luc Mélenchon garnered 11.1% of the total votes cast. This represented a significant increase from his performance in the 2007 election, where he had only secured 0.7% of the vote. Mélenchon's strong showing in 2012 was attributed to his anti-austerity and left-wing platform, which resonated with a significant portion of the French electorate.