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Poll puts Le Pen as frontrunner in first round of French presidential race

The survey puts Marine Le Pen four percentage points ahead of her main rival, former economics minister and founder of the left-wing party "En Marche!" - Emmanuel Macron

France’s National Front leader, Marine Le Pen EPA/MATHIEU CUGNOT

France’s National Front leader, Marine Le Pen

© EPA/MATHIEU CUGNOT

PARIS, March 20. /TASS/. France’s National Front leader, Marine Le Pen, remains the favorite among the French presidential hopefuls, suggests a survey by the OpinionWay pollster.

The survey puts Marine Le Pen four percentage points ahead of her main rival, former economics minister and founder of the left-wing party "En Marche!" - Emmanuel Macron.

If the first round were to be held today, Marine Le Pen would win with 27% of the electoral vote (minus one percent as compared with a week ago), the poll suggests. Macron would take home 23% of the ballots, while former Prime Minister Francois Fillon would end up with 18%.

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Le Pen says Moscow poses no threat to Europe

As compared with data from March 17, their popularity has declined by two percentage points. Socialist nominee Benoit Hamon could count on 13% of the vote, while the leader of Unsubmissive France movement Jean-Luc Melenchon would see only 12%

The pollster suggests that Marine Le Pen will lose to Macron in the second round, the gap between them growing by two percentage points from March 17, making up 20% at the moment. According to OpinionWay, Macron would get 60% of the electoral vote in the second round, while Le Pen would garner 40%.

In case Fillon qualifies for the second round, 55% of the eligible voters will be ready to cast their ballots for him, while Marine Le Pen will secure 45% of the vote.

France’s presidential race will be held in two rounds scheduled for April 23 and May 7.

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France Elections

Military operation in Ukraine

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