Who is popular today?

Emmanuel Macron is expected to win but voter support for Marine Le Pen shows the threat of the far right must be tackledDespite his unpopularity – 54% of French voters disapprove of his performance in office – Emmanuel Macron is widely expected to win a second five-year term in France’s presidential election, whose first round will be held next Sunday. Yet it is already clear who has won the campaign as opposed to the vote: the populist forces of far-right nationalism grouped around the candidacies of Marine Le Pen and Éric Zemmour.As leader of the National Rally, formerly the Front National, Le Pen has strengthened her grip on second place after a shaky few months. Her support is at about 20%, against Macron’s 28%, and she is closing the gap. As matters stand, Macron would beat her in the two-candidate second-round runoff on 24 April by 56-44%, although one poll last week suggested the margin has shrunk to only six points. Predicted low voter turnout is increasing uncertainty. Continue reading...