Le Pen’s National Rally seen leading vote in French snap elections – polls

Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally is seen leading the race ahead of France’s parliamentary elections, three polls showed on Thursday, ahead of the leftwing Popular Front and President Emmanuel Macron’s centrists.

Pollster IFOP in a survey for broadcasting group TF1 and Le Figaro said the National Rally (RN) would secure 34% of the vote, while the Popular Front would reach 29% and Macron’s Together bloc would get 22%.

Another poll by Harris Interactive – conducted for RTL radio, M6 TV and Challenges Magazine – put the RN at 33%, while the left was seen at 26% and Macron’s camp at 21%.

A third poll published on Thursday, by OpinionWay on behalf of CNews TV, Europe 1 radio and the Journal du Dimanche paper, also put the RN in the lead with 35% of the votes, ahead of the Popular Front which had 27% and Macron’s camp which had 20%.

The simulation of the national popular vote does not allow for a direct forecast of the balance of power in France’s next National Assembly, as the election on June 30 and July 7 is held as a two-round majority vote in each district.

The Harris poll, however, made rough seat projections and forecast 235 to 280 seats for RN and its allies, which would fall short of the 289 needed for an absolute majority but make it by far the largest bloc.