Le Pen Moves Into Lead in French Race, Le Monde Poll Shows

[Calista241]

Source: Bloomberg

Marine Le Pen is gaining support in France and has taken the lead in a major survey of voters’ intentions for the first round of the presidential election.

The populist leader of the National Front had between 25 percent and 26 percent support compared with 23 percent to 25 percent for Republican candidate Francois Fillon, according to an Ipsos Sopra Steria poll for Cevipof and Le Monde. In mid December, Fillon led with about 28 percent and Le Pen around 25 percent.

Since the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president on Nov. 8, the French race has been closely-watched as another crucial battle between populist and establishment forces. Under the French electoral system, the two leading candidates face each other in a run-off vote on May 7, presenting a significant hurdle to Le Pen. The poll didn’t include data for the second-round vote.

European Commissioner Pierre Moscovici, a French Socialist, said in Davos Thursday that there’s little chance of Le Pen securing the broad support needed for victory.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-19/le-pen-moves-into-first-in-french-race-le-monde-poll-shows

[hlthe2b]

1. Putin may not even have to "fire a shot" in his quest

to take over the West....

[Botany]

2. I wonder if Russian money is backing Le Pen?

n/t

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Oh yeah - her ties with Russia are open

https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-12-22/le-pen-struggling-to-fund-french-race-after-russian-backer-fails

[Botany]

6. I should have known.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/01/12/marine-le-pen-at-trump-tower-only-for-the-food/?utm_term=.3ec011b0052a

and she has been meeting w/Trump and company.

[inanna]

3. Oh shit. n/t

[ananda]

4. Uh oh.

That's as bad as it can get.

[StevieM]

8. No it's not. There is run-off voting in France. She will get clobbered in the second round. (eom)

[StevieM]

7. This is just the first round. She will get clobbered in the second round.

Donald Trump's victory has people misreading the situation.

[roamer65]

13. Correct. If we had runoff voting, Dump would have been clobbered in the 2nd round as well.

[hrmjustin]

9. Shit!

[erpowers]

10. Didn't She Already lose

I thought a few weeks ago it was reported that she had lost to another Republican equivalent French politician. What happened?

[erpowers]

11. People in U.S. Thought Donald Trump Could Not Win

Maybe Pierre Moscovici needs to put in a great deal of work in order to prevent Marine Le Pen from becoming the French President. He needs to make sure she is not able to put together the "broad support" she needs to win. In addition, he needs to work to assure that the opposition can put together a coalition to keep her from winning the Presidential election.

[Coventina]

12. "I'm Being Chased by the National Front."

[dalton99a]

14. Another Russian puppet.

[burrowowl]

15. Very worrisome!