French far-right party ahead in preelection poll

A fresh poll in France shows the far-right National Rally party and its allies have a significant lead ahead of the first round of the parliamentary election, scheduled for Sunday.

An Ipsos survey, commissioned by Le Parisien newspaper and Radio France on June 19 and 20, suggests the right-wing alliance is leading on 35.5 percent of the vote, with the left-wing alliance of the New Popular Front, or NFP, and its allies following closely in second place with 29.5 percent.

French President Emmanuel Macron's centrist coalition is shown to be in third position, with 19.5 percent of the votes.

Voter turnout is projected to range from 60 to 64 percent, significantly surpassing the 47.5 percent recorded during the previous general election in June 2022, said Ipsos.

National Rally's advantage in preelection polls for the upcoming two-round election on June 30 and July 7 is not expected to secure the party a majority, reported Reuters.

Macron announced the election following his alliance's significant loss in the European Parliament elections earlier this month.

Speaking on the podcast Generation Do It Yourself on Monday, Macron warned the programs of the two "extremes" could spark a "civil war", accusing both the RN and France Unbowed of sowing tensions and dividing people.

Leaders of both left and right condemned his remarks.

The country's three main political camps were set to go head-to-head Tuesday in a key TV debate.

According to a separate Ipsos poll commissioned by the Financial Times newspaper, National Rally is regarded by voters as the most trustworthy party for handling economic matters and public finances.

The survey results indicate that 25 percent of participants trust Marine Le Pen's National Rally the most to make the correct decisions on economic matters, compared to 22 percent for the NFP, and 20 percent for Macron's Ensemble.

Challenge faced

The FT reported that Macron's centrist coalition is facing a challenge in persuading voters that its rivals would cause an economic collapse.

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who is heading the Ensemble campaign, reinforced its core message on Sunday, cautioning on RTL radio that France could face "economic and social carnage" and a "crushing of the middle class" if the far right or the left assume power.

Attal emphasized that the centrists were gaining momentum, having increased in support since their significant loss in the European Parliament elections on June 9.

Despite counsel from his own team to refrain from direct involvement in the campaign to avoid turning it into a referendum on his presidency, Macron issued a letter to the French people on Sunday, in which he defended his administration's record and encouraged voters to shun extreme ideologies and support moderate candidates.

Agencies contributed to this story.