Marine Le Pen Leads French Presidential Election Polling

Marine Le Pen leads the first-round projections for France's presidential election scheduled for next April and May. According to a Toluna Harris Interactive poll published September 28, the far-right candidate holds 35% to 36% of the vote, positioning her to reach the run-off election.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, the far-left contender, follows with 17% to 18% support. Centrist candidate Edouard Philippe trails both with 13% to 16%, failing to reach the run-off in all five scenarios analyzed by the poll. The survey suggests the race is being driven by geopolitical instability, rising prices, and a sluggish economy.

In potential second-round matchups, the poll projects Le Pen would defeat Melenchon with 69% of the vote and defeat Philippe with 57%.