42% slated to vote far-right in the next local elections

A poll published today by the Union of Jewish Students in France (UEJF) revealed that 42 per cent of French voters could vote for a far-right candidate in their next municipal election.

France's far-right National Front political party leader Marine Le Pen Reuters/Christian Hartmann

The Polling Vox institute survey on 13-14 November found that 18 per cent of the French could "certainly" vote Front National (FN), 24 per cent "might" vote far-right, and 58 per cent declare that they "would not" vote FN.

Last week, opinion polls indicated that nationalist candidates are leading in May's European Parliament elections and are also expected to rake in 16 per cent of the vote in French municipal elections in March.

This poll came as another poll, released a week ago by the French Institute for Public Opinion (IFOP), showed president François Hollande's approval rating falling to 20 per cent, the lowest seen since 1958.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen vowed to use next year's local and European elections as a springboard to national office, bringing her FN party into the mainstream.

In the latest controversy, the FN dropped a candidate for the 2014 municipal vote who compared the country's most prominent black politician, Justice Minister Christiane Taubira, to a monkey.