[Emmanuel Macron is for the first time slated to beat the Front National's Marine Le Pen in both rounds of France's presidential election, one poll suggested on Thursday. But the boost was contradicted by another survey suggesting that support for François Fillon had stopped "haemorrhaging" over corruption allegations, as the conservative candidate announced a new team to kick start his faltering campaign, including figures close to ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy. ... All surveys concur that Mr Macron's lead remains the most fragile due to a volatile support base.]
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/09/macron-polls-win-french-presidential-rounds-against-le-pen-first/ Macron polls to win both French presidential rounds against Le Pen for first time Emmanuel Macron, head of the political movement 'En Marche!', and candidate for the 2017 presidential election CREDIT: GONZALO FUENTES/REUTERS Henry Samuel, paris 9 MARCH 2017 • 5:43PM Emmanuel Macron is for the first time slated to beat the Front National's Marine Le Pen in both rounds of France's presidential election, one poll suggested on Thursday. But the boost was contradicted by another survey suggesting that support for François Fillon had stopped "haemorrhaging" over corruption allegations, as the conservative candidate announced a new team to kick start his faltering campaign, including figures close to ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy. French presidential election candidate for the right-wing Les Republicains (LR) party Francois Fillon French presidential election candidate for the right-wing Les Republicains (LR) party Francois Fillon CREDIT: ERIC FEFERBERG/AFP/GETTY IMAGES Meanwhile, analysts said that record expected abstention rates meant that the outcome was still far from certain. The Harris Interactive survey showed Mr Macron, a former economy minister, taking 26 per cent of the vote on April 23 - a six-point hike in two weeks - compared to 25 per cent for Ms Le Pen, who had long been leading in the first round. Mr Fillon would come third on 20 per cent. With no outright majority expected, a run-off between the two top candidates will be held on May 7. The Harris poll suggests Mr Macron would take 65 per cent of that vote to Ms Le Pen's 35 per cent. French far-right Front National (FN) party candidate for the presidential election Marine Le Pen looks on during a visit to a farm in Loubersan, southern France French far-right Front National (FN) party candidate for the presidential election Marine Le Pen looks on during a visit to a farm in Loubersan, southern France CREDIT: PASCAL PAVANI/AFP/GETTY IMAGES This came as senior figures from the Left and centre threw their weight behind the 39-year-old ex-banker who promises a "democratic revolution" to install a "neither Left nor Right" administration. The FN leader's campaign head, David Rachline, dismissed Thursday's poll, saying in reference to round one: "The reality right now is that Marine (Le Pen) is in front in almost all polls." His claim was bolstered by another poll on Thursday placing Ms Le Pen in pole position in round one on 27 per cent ahead of Mr Macron, which it saw at down two points on 23 per cent. French far-right Front National (FN) party candidate for the presidential election Marine Le Pen French far-right Front National (FN) party candidate for the presidential election Marine Le Pen CREDIT: RTL/SIPA/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK The Cevipov survey suggested that after a vertiginous drop in support over allegations he misused parliament funds to pay his British wife for a "fake job", Mr Fillon is now "resisting" further deterioration after his Right-wing Républicains party unanimously backed him on Monday. At 19.5 per cent, Mr Fillon is almost within striking distance of Mr Macron, who has hit a plateau, the Cevipov poll suggested. All surveys concur that Mr Macron's lead remains the most fragile due to a volatile support base. An Elabe poll for BFMTV this week showed that 79 percent of Ms Le Pen's supporters were certain to vote for her one April 23rd. Some 73 percent of Fillon supporters were also sure despite the fake jobs scandal, but only 45 percent of those who currently back Mr Macron are sure of their decision. The electorate has offered previous signs it is not totally convinced about Mr Macron; last month, his popularity dived after he controversially described France's colonisation of Algeria as a "crime against humanity". He went on to anger progressives by saying that the anti-gay marriage movement Manif pour Tous had been "humiliated" by a gay marriage bill. Emmanuel Macron kisses his wife Brigitte Trogneux, kiss as they attend a meeting for Women's Day in Paris Emmanuel Macron kisses his wife Brigitte Trogneux, kiss as they attend a meeting for Women's Day in Paris CREDIT: GONZALO FUENTES/REUTERS His slump only ended when centrist François Bayrou confirmed he would not run for president and backed Mr Macron. Since then, he has consolidated support, winning the backing of Socialist former Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoë who called him "a reformist, a European and a realist" best-placed to beat Ms Le Pen. According to Le Figaro, a significant group of Socialist progressives, including government ministers, are about to publicly back Mr Macron. Their decision to drop the official Socialist candidate Benoit Hamon could pose problems, however, for a candidate who has promised not to do deals with any political camp. Mr Macron's rivals insist that far from offering change, he is the natural heir to President François Hollande. The new polls were released as Mr Fillon sought to build new campaign momentum after seeing off a challenge to oust him as party nominee. This culminated in a mass rally in Paris on Sunday and a decision on Monday by Right-wingers to close ranks behind the ex-prime minister, who could be placed under formal investigation for corruption next week. François Fillon holds a rally at Paris' Trocadero on March 5 François Fillon holds a rally at Paris' Trocadero on March 5 CREDIT: ALFONSO JIMENEZ/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK On Thursday, Mr Fillon named François Baroin, a former finance minister close to Mr Sarkozy "in charge of political unity" in his campaign team. Former education minister Luc Chatel, also considered close to Mr Sarkozy, is Mr Fillon's new spokesman. With less than six weeks before the first round, the Cevipov survey put expected abstention rates at a record 32 per cent, meaning that five million more potential voters are currently considering staying away than in 2012. Their decision to turn out at the last minute could lead to a very different outcome, said analysts. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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