Poll suggests Le Pen would beat Macron in first round of French elections
Far-right leader of the far-right National Rally Party would beat incumbent head of state in early stage of vote according to French report
A new poll of French voters suggests that Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally Party, is growing in popularity since the 2017 elections.
If France’s 2022 presidential elections were held now, Le Pen would beat President Emmanuel Macron and all other rivals in the first round. But in a subsequent runoff of the top two candidates, Macron would still win handily, as he did in 2017.
In the poll of 1,805 French voters published Sunday in Le Journal du Dimanche, Le Pen received between 24% to 27% of the vote, depending on who she would theoretically face. Macron, the runner-up, had 23% to 26%. The poll has a 1.8% margin of error.
French Jews, whose community of about 500,000 people is Europe’s largest, are largely wary of Le Pen, who has said she would ban the wearing of kippot in public so that she could impose a ban on wearing traditional Muslim garb without violating constitutional requirements on equality.
However, her strong stance against political and extremist Islam, as well as her rebuke of members of her party caught making antisemitic statements, have earned her a growing following among some French Jews. Polls from 2017 suggested that some 10% of French Jewish voters vote Le Pen, and possibly as many as 16%.
Le Pen’s father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, is a Holocaust denier with multiple convictions for inciting hate speech. Marine kicked him out of the party in 2015 for making an antisemitic joke about the Holocaust.
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
