Marine Le Pen’s far-right party is now more popular than Macron’s

France’s far-Right National Rally is now more popular than Emmanuel Macron’s governing party as the country becomes more anti-EU and opposed to immigration, according to a new poll.

The shock results come just a year-and-a-half after President Macron roundly defeated his closest rival, Marine Le Pen, to become head of state.

Her National Front has now changed its name to the National Rally (NR) in an attempt to soften its image and move away from its racist and anti-Semitic roots.

Now, a new Ifop poll examining voting intentions for upcoming European Parliament elections show the NR on 21 per cent, with Mr Macron’s Republic on the Move (LREM) on 19 per cent.

 

Marine Le Pen’s (pictured) far-Right National Rally is now more popular than Emmanuel Macron’s governing party

The NR vote is up five per cent from 17 per cent in August, while LREM’s is down one per cent over the same period.

‘In the European elections, we’re in the lead,’ a delighted Ms Le Pen said on Sunday. ‘People are rejecting globalisation’.

Ms Le Pen views Mr Macron, who is a former merchant banker, as being more interested in the EU and the global economy than France itself.

Her party has pledged to stick up for French workers and their products, and to cut down on new arrivals taking their jobs.

The shock results come just a year-and-a-half after President Macron (pictured) roundly defeated his closest rival, Marine Le Pen, to become head of state

The shock results come just a year-and-a-half after President Macron (pictured) roundly defeated his closest rival, Marine Le Pen, to become head of state

Along with a combined nine per cent score by three other ‘Frexit’ (the French equivalent of Brexit) parties Ms Le Pen could form a coalition with 30 per cent of the vote.

This score for the NR working with Stand-up France, the Patriots and the Popular Republicans is up from 25 per cent in August.

The conservative Republicans are on just 13 per cent of the vote, while the far-Left France Unbowed is on 11 per cent.

The Ifop poll was carried out between October 30 and 31, and asked almost 1000 French citizens representative of the entire population how they would vote if the European elections – which take place next May – were to be held next Sunday.

Mr Macron has become increasingly unpopular as he introduces a range of measures aimed at liberalising France’s economy. Current polls show his popularity rating down to just 21 per cent.

Senior ministers have been deserting him, as he is accused of being a ‘President to the rich’.

Despite the impressive score for the NR, Ms Le Pen currently has serious legal problems that could technically see her imprisoned.

The 50-year-old was in March charged with circulating ‘violent messages’ on Twitter – namely Islamic State propaganda pictures..

The NR is also being investigated for allegedly using European Parliament funds to illegally pay for staff working in France.

Ms Le Pen has denied any wrongdoing, accusing the political establishment of being out to get her and the NR. 

 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk