Key facts
- Marine Le Pen is projected to win the April 2027 French presidential election, according to a recent survey.
- Le Pen is predicted to lead any other candidate by at least 16 points.
- Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon is polling at 16-17 percent, gaining ground.
- A potential runoff scenario shows Le Pen winning 68% of the vote against Mélenchon's 32%.
- Le Pen's conviction for embezzlement was upheld but her sentence was reduced, allowing her to run.
- Le Pen has advocated for strict immigration policies and a pro-Israel stance.
Marine Le Pen, the French far-right leader, is polling at a record high and is projected to win the April 2027 presidential election, according to a survey by Toluna Harris Interactive for RTL and M6. The poll indicates Le Pen would lead any other candidate by at least 16 points.
The survey also shows a progression for left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who is polling at around 16-17 percent and is considered more likely to reach the second round than centrist candidates like former prime minister Édouard Philippe. In a projected runoff between Le Pen and Mélenchon, Le Pen is expected to win with 68 percent of the vote compared to Mélenchon's 32 percent.
Le Pen's ability to run in 2027 was recently cleared after a Paris appeal court upheld her conviction for embezzlement but significantly reduced her sentence, though she plans to appeal further. The Rassemblement National party, formerly the Front National, has worked to distance itself from its antisemitic past and has adopted a pro-Israel stance. Le Pen has also advocated for strict immigration policies.