Paris (France) (AFP) – French hard-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon may have the best chance of reaching the run-off against far-right leader Marine Le Pen in next spring's election, a new poll showed Monday, underscoring the increasingly polarised nature of the race.
Issued on: 24/08/2026 - 16:30
Melenchon, the 75-year-old leader of France Unbowed (LFI), was more likely to reach the second round than centre-right former prime minister Edouard Philippe, the Harris-Interactive-Toluna poll commissioned by broadcasters M6 and RTL showed.
Philippe had been widely seen as the candidate best placed to reach the run-off and challenge Le Pen in the race to succeed President Emmanuel Macron after his second term in office.
Instead, the poll showed French voters left with a choice between the two extremes in the second round, with Le Pen still projected to ultimately win the presidency.
