France's presidential candidates: how are they polling?

French president Emmanuel Macron appears to have lost ground slightly in the latest opinion poll released by Elabe on Tuesday. With two and a half weeks to go until the election, he remains out in front ahead of far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon. The other rival candidates are struggling to get above ten percent.

Candidates for the 2022 French presidential election, 1st row L-R: Nathalie Arthaud, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, Anne Hidalgo, Yannick Jadot, Jean Lassalle, Marine Le Pen. 2nd row L-R: Emmanuel Macron, Jean-Luc Melenchon, Valerie Pecresse, Philippe Poutou, Fabien Roussel, Eric Zemmour. Pictures taken in 2021 and 2022. REUTERS - STAFF

Although he lost 3.5% of voting intentions since a poll carried out last week (by BFMTV, L'Express and SFR), incumbent President Macron is still ahead with 27.5% according to the latest opinion poll released by Elabe* on Tuesday.

Marine Le Pen moved forward by two points and is now on 20% while Jean-Luc Mélenchon came in at 15%, a point ahead of last week.

On Thursday last week, Macron unveiled his manifesto, pledging among other things further tax cuts, reforms to the welfare system and major public investments.

In the next group of candidates, conservative leader Valérie Pécresse (Les Republicains) tied with Eric Zemmour (Reconquête! Reconquer) on 10% of voter intentions, Pécresse having lost 1.5 points, and Zemmour, half a point.

In sixth position, the Greens candidate Yannick Jadot, who lost half a point, bringing him down to 4.5%, just ahead of the communist candidate Fabien Roussel, who remains on 3.5%.

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Further back are Nicolas Dupont-Aignan (Debout la France/ Stand Up France) inched up with 1.5 points to garner 3% of voter intentions, while Jean Lassalle (Resistons) was up a point also on 3%.

Socialist candidate Anne Hidalgo remained on 1.5%, the same score as Philippe Poutou (NPA / New anti-capitalist party) who was up half a point.

Far-left workers' party candidate Nathalie Arthaud (LO) came in at 0.5%.

The voting intentions are in no way a reflection of the previsional election result, they simply give an indication as to the public's reaction to the candidates and their performance on the day of the poll.

*Elabe opinion poll carried out via internet between 20-21 March, with 1,551 citizens representing a cross section of the adult French population. 1,450 of those were already registered to vote. Margin of error is considered between 1.1 and 3.1 points.

(with Wires)