A growing majority of French voters see Marine Le Pen&#39;s far-right National Front as a threat to democracy, but a third approve of its ideas, a Kantar Sofres-Onepoint poll showed on Tuesday.

Le Pen, who most polls see coming on top in the first round of France&#39;s presidential election, has sought to make the anti-European Union, anti-immigrant National Front less of a fringe party since she took its reins from her father in 2011.

However, 58 per cent of those surveyed in the poll for Le Monde and franceinfo radio said the party was a threat to democracy. After shrinking for a decade, that number has been rising since 2013, when it stood at 47 per cent.

Only 19 per cent of those surveyed said they wanted Le Pen to win the May 7 presidential runoff. Most polls put her ahead of other candidates in the April 23 first round, but those same surveys consistently see her losing the run-off.

A third said they completely agreed with the National Front&#39;s ideas, a proportion that has changed little since Le Pen took over the party&#39;s leadership.

The Kantar poll found key planks of Le Pen&#39;s platform gaining little traction with voters. Only 22 per cent of those polled were in favour of dropping the euro as France&#39;s currency, for example, down from 34 per cent in 2011 when pollsters started asking the question.

The FN&#39;s anti-EU, anti-immigrant stance helps mark it as anti-establishment but it is also seen as a likely obstacle to its election, in particular with older voters.

It is a key part of the FN&#39;s platform, and on Tuesday Le Pen reaffirmed that, if she were elected president but voters later rejected the EU exit in a referendum, she would resign.

&quot;What would happen if I told voters we must leave and they decided to stay?&quot; Le Pen said at a meeting with a group of entrepreneurs. &quot;I would quit. What else can I do? My whole project can only be carried out if we get the tools and powers back (from the EU.)&quot;

Likewise, only 21 per cent were in favour of giving employment priority to French citizens over foreigners residing legally in France, a level that has changed little in recent years.

(Reuters)

A growing number of French citizens see Le Pen as a threat to democracy, yet a third approve of the far-right party's ideas

A growing majority of French voters see Marine Le Pen's far-right National Front as a threat to democracy, but a third approve of its ideas, a Kantar Sofres-Onepoint poll showed on Tuesday. Le Pen, who most polls see coming on top in the first round of France's presidential election, has sought to make the anti-European Union, anti-immigrant National Front less of a fringe party since she took its reins from her father in 2011. However, 58 per cent of those surveyed in the poll for Le Monde and franceinfo radio said the party was a threat to democracy. After shrinking for a decade, that number has been rising since 2013, when it stood at 47 per cent. Only 19 per cent of those surveyed said they wanted Le Pen to win the May 7 presidential runoff. Most polls put her ahead of other candidates in the April 23 first round, but those same surveys consistently see her losing the run-off. A third said they completely agreed with the National Front's ideas, a proportion that has changed little since Le Pen took over the party's leadership. The Kantar poll found key planks of Le Pen's platform gaining little traction with voters. Only 22 per cent of those polled were in favour of dropping the euro as France's currency, for example, down from 34 per cent in 2011 when pollsters started asking the question. The FN's anti-EU, anti-immigrant stance helps mark it as anti-establishment but it is also seen as a likely obstacle to its election, in particular with older voters. It is a key part of the FN's platform, and on Tuesday Le Pen reaffirmed that, if she were elected president but voters later rejected the EU exit in a referendum, she would resign. "What would happen if I told voters we must leave and they decided to stay?" Le Pen said at a meeting with a group of entrepreneurs. "I would quit. What else can I do? My whole project can only be carried out if we get the tools and powers back (from the EU.)" Likewise, only 21 per cent were in favour of giving employment priority to French citizens over foreigners residing legally in France, a level that has changed little in recent years. (Reuters)

French election: Majority of voters mistrust Le Pen's National Front, says poll

Beleaguered France&#39;s Republicans candidate Francois Fillon received a shot in the arm after his likely replacement ruled himself out, citing that the elections were merely weeks away for him to mobilise an election campaign.

Former prime minister Alain Juppe, who is popular with the voters, said Monday:&nbsp;&quot;I confirm for a final time that I will not be a candidate to be president of the republic.&quot;

Francois Fillon was once the favourite to be the next president but his campaign got embroiled in the ugly &quot;fake job&quot; scandal.

Fillon has been accused of paying thousands of euros to his British-born wife Penelope for performing a fake parliamentary job.

But Juppe&#39;s withdrawal from a potential presidential campaign has almost calcified Fillon&#39;s status as the Republicans torchbearer in the upcoming French runoffs.

Juppe&#39;s statement emboldened Fillon to ask his party to rally around him.

&quot;It is time for everybody to get their act together and come back to their senses,&quot; he told senior party members gathered to discuss the crisis, according to a text.

Fillon has been excoriated by his party members and some 250 insiders had called for his head as chances of even progressing to the second round of the presidential bid are bleak now.&nbsp;

Party leaders met for crisis talks on Monday evening, with allies of ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy still pushing&nbsp;Fillon&nbsp;to step aside and name a replacement.

&quot;He&#39;s got some breathing space but he needs to ask himself if he can still win the presidential election,&quot; one lawmaker known to be close to Sarkozy told AFP on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;

But later, the party said it would support Fillon&#39;s presidential campaign.

&quot;The political committee, after a wide-ranging exchange, unanimously renewed its support for Francois Fillon,&quot; Senate speaker Gerard Larcher told reporters after around 20 party seniors met to &quot;evaluate&quot; the crisis sparked by the fake jobs scandal clouding Fillon&#39;s campaign.

The disarray appears to have benefited centrist, pro-business candidate Emmanuel Macron in particular, as well as far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who are shown in polls to be the likely top two candidates in the first round of voting on April 23.

Polls suggest 39-year-old Macron would beat Le Pen in the decisive second round on May 7 -- but after Donald Trump&#39;s victory and Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union, analysts caution against bold predictions.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Alan Juppe, who was likely to replace scandal-hit Fillon, said contesting the election made no sense due to paucity of time

Beleaguered France's Republicans candidate Francois Fillon received a shot in the arm after his likely replacement ruled himself out, citing that the elections were merely weeks away for him to mobilise an election campaign. Former prime minister Alain Juppe, who is popular with the voters, said Monday: "I confirm for a final time that I will not be a candidate to be president of the republic." Francois Fillon was once the favourite to be the next president but his campaign got embroiled in the ugly "fake job" scandal. Fillon has been accused of paying thousands of euros to his British-born wife Penelope for performing a fake parliamentary job. But Juppe's withdrawal from a potential presidential campaign has almost calcified Fillon's status as the Republicans torchbearer in the upcoming French runoffs. Juppe's statement emboldened Fillon to ask his party to rally around him. "It is time for everybody to get their act together and come back to their senses," he told senior party members gathered to discuss the crisis, according to a text. Fillon has been excoriated by his party members and some 250 insiders had called for his head as chances of even progressing to the second round of the presidential bid are bleak now. Party leaders met for crisis talks on Monday evening, with allies of ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy still pushing Fillon to step aside and name a replacement. "He's got some breathing space but he needs to ask himself if he can still win the presidential election," one lawmaker known to be close to Sarkozy told AFP on condition of anonymity. But later, the party said it would support Fillon's presidential campaign. "The political committee, after a wide-ranging exchange, unanimously renewed its support for Francois Fillon," Senate speaker Gerard Larcher told reporters after around 20 party seniors met to "evaluate" the crisis sparked by the fake jobs scandal clouding Fillon's campaign. The disarray appears to have benefited centrist, pro-business candidate Emmanuel Macron in particular, as well as far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who are shown in polls to be the likely top two candidates in the first round of voting on April 23. Polls suggest 39-year-old Macron would beat Le Pen in the decisive second round on May 7 -- but after Donald Trump's victory and Britain's vote to leave the European Union, analysts caution against bold predictions. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Fillon's French presidential bid gets fillip after replacement rules himself out

Beleaguered French conservative candidate Francois Fillon struck a defiant note on Suday, insisting &quot;no one&quot; can stop him from running the upcoming presidential elections.

Fillon has faced intense criticism from within his party after allegations that he paid his wife thousands of euros for a fake parliamentary job.

About 250 party insiders have called for his head, suggesting he should step down as the party torchbearer due to the damage done to his reputation following the outbreak of the scandal.

&quot;No one today can prevent me being a candidate,&quot; Fillon said in a TV interview in which he again said a probe into allegations he gave his wife a highly-paid fake parliamentary job was politically motivated.

&quot;Of course it is aimed at stopping me being a candidate,&quot; Fillon said of the probe in which he is to be charged on March 15.

Asked if he would bow to calls from within his own Republicans party to withdraw, Fillon said: &quot;My answer is &#39;no&#39;.&quot;

Fillon was the frontrunner in the race until the fake jobs allegations were made in mid-January.

Besides Fillon stood his wife Penelope, the person in the eye of the storm.

He has since lost support and polls currently show he risks being knocked out in the first round on April 23 with far-right leader Marine Le Pen and 39-year-old centrist Emmanuel Macron progressing to the runoff two weeks later.

(WION with inputs fom AFP)

The conservative candidate has been accused of paying his wife thousands of euros to do a fake parliamentary job

Beleaguered French conservative candidate Francois Fillon struck a defiant note on Suday, insisting "no one" can stop him from running the upcoming presidential elections. Fillon has faced intense criticism from within his party after allegations that he paid his wife thousands of euros for a fake parliamentary job. About 250 party insiders have called for his head, suggesting he should step down as the party torchbearer due to the damage done to his reputation following the outbreak of the scandal. "No one today can prevent me being a candidate," Fillon said in a TV interview in which he again said a probe into allegations he gave his wife a highly-paid fake parliamentary job was politically motivated. "Of course it is aimed at stopping me being a candidate," Fillon said of the probe in which he is to be charged on March 15. Asked if he would bow to calls from within his own Republicans party to withdraw, Fillon said: "My answer is 'no'." Fillon was the frontrunner in the race until the fake jobs allegations were made in mid-January. Besides Fillon stood his wife Penelope, the person in the eye of the storm. He has since lost support and polls currently show he risks being knocked out in the first round on April 23 with far-right leader Marine Le Pen and 39-year-old centrist Emmanuel Macron progressing to the runoff two weeks later. (WION with inputs fom AFP)

French elections: Fillon vows to fight on in defiance rally

French conservative candidate Francois Fillon told supporters Saturday their opponents were trying to &quot;intimidate&quot; them as he battles to keep his presidential bid afloat.

Marking his 63rd birthday, Fillon was trying to turn the page on a nightmare week that saw scores of defections from his camp after he admitted he is to face criminal charges over allegations he gave his family fake parliamentary jobs.

With some members of his own rightwing Republicans party urging him to drop out of the campaign, Fillon told 1,500 supporters he had had &quot;better&quot; birthdays.

Without referring directly to his legal woes, he said at a campaign event north of Paris: &quot;They are trying to intimidate you. They are attacking me. But... what they are trying to kill is a desire for change.&quot;

Fillon has denied wrongdoing and has claimed that the fake jobs charges are politically motivated, even hinting he believes the ruling Socialist government is behind the investigation.

As he was giving his speech, his Republicans party announced that its political decision-making body would meet Monday evening -- a day earlier than planned -- &quot;to evaluate the situation&quot;.

It also emerged that police raided the Fillons&#39; country manor house near the northwestern town of Le Mans on Friday, looking for evidence. The couple&#39;s Paris apartment was searched on Thursday.

Fillon will attempt to regain the initiative by holding a major rally on Sunday near the Eiffel Tower.

The danger for the right is that he could be eliminated in the first round of the two-stage contest on April 23.

Opinion polls currently show that far-right leader Marine Le Pen and 39-year-old centrist Emmanuel Macron would progress to contest the runoff on May 7.

&#39;Ship leaving the rat&#39;&nbsp;

Fillon was the frontrunner until mid-January when the Canard Enchaine newspaper alleged he paid his British-born wife Penelope and two of their children nearly 900,000 euros ($950,000) as parliamentary assistants or advisors.

French lawmakers are allowed to employ family members, but investigators are searching for evidence of what work Fillon&#39;s wife did.

He revealed Wednesday he is to meet investigating magistrates to be charged on March 15, sparking a series of defections from his team.

His foreign affairs point man and his campaign spokesman deserted him and the leader of the small centrist UDI party said it was withdrawing its backing.

The left-leaning Liberation newspaper wrote: &quot;It is no longer the rats leaving a sinking ship, but the ship leaving the rat.&quot;

With just seven weeks to go before voting begins, the entourage of 71-year-old former premier Alain Juppe has said he is prepared to take over.

But high-profile Fillon supporters from the business world rallied round him.

Henri de Castries, a former CEO of the Axa insurance giant, said Fillon should remain in the race because he had &quot;legitimacy&quot; from his clear victory over Juppe in November&#39;s nominating contest.

Despite a forecast of heavy rain, Fillon&#39;s campaign is hoping for a massive turnout on Sunday, helped by the organising prowess of groups such as Manif Pour Tous, which staged a huge protest against gay marriage in October.

Fillon is a devout Catholic and his surprise win in the Republicans&#39; primary was widely attributed to his conservative social views.

Juppe, his possible replacement, is a former premier who was given a suspended jail sentence in 2004 over a party funding scandal.

He is more centrist than Fillon and believes France needs to regain its &quot;happiness&quot;.

Juppe has said he would only replace Fillon if the candidate makes the decision to pull out himself, &quot;and the rightwing and centre camps... have to be united behind him&quot;, a source in Juppe&#39;s camp told AFP.

Distraction from issues&nbsp;

One poll on Friday showed Juppe would vault into the lead if he stood.

Juppe would have 26.5 percent of votes, narrowly ahead of Macron on 25 percent, while Le Pen would slip to third place on 24 percent, according to the Odoxa-Dentsu Consulting survey of 943 people.

Le Pen, 48, campaigning on an anti-immigration and anti-EU platform, has sought to capitalise on the anti-establishment sentiment that propelled US President Donald Trump to power and led to the British vote to leave the European Union.

Polls currently show however that the leader National Front (FN) chief will be beaten in the second round by either the fast-rising Macron or the conservative candidate.

(AFP)

Several staffers of his campaign team have deserted him after he revealed he would be probed for giving fake parliamentary jobs to his kin

French conservative candidate Francois Fillon told supporters Saturday their opponents were trying to "intimidate" them as he battles to keep his presidential bid afloat. Marking his 63rd birthday, Fillon was trying to turn the page on a nightmare week that saw scores of defections from his camp after he admitted he is to face criminal charges over allegations he gave his family fake parliamentary jobs. With some members of his own rightwing Republicans party urging him to drop out of the campaign, Fillon told 1,500 supporters he had had "better" birthdays. Without referring directly to his legal woes, he said at a campaign event north of Paris: "They are trying to intimidate you. They are attacking me. But... what they are trying to kill is a desire for change." Fillon has denied wrongdoing and has claimed that the fake jobs charges are politically motivated, even hinting he believes the ruling Socialist government is behind the investigation. As he was giving his speech, his Republicans party announced that its political decision-making body would meet Monday evening -- a day earlier than planned -- "to evaluate the situation". It also emerged that police raided the Fillons' country manor house near the northwestern town of Le Mans on Friday, looking for evidence. The couple's Paris apartment was searched on Thursday. Fillon will attempt to regain the initiative by holding a major rally on Sunday near the Eiffel Tower. The danger for the right is that he could be eliminated in the first round of the two-stage contest on April 23. Opinion polls currently show that far-right leader Marine Le Pen and 39-year-old centrist Emmanuel Macron would progress to contest the runoff on May 7. 'Ship leaving the rat' Fillon was the frontrunner until mid-January when the Canard Enchaine newspaper alleged he paid his British-born wife Penelope and two of their children nearly 900,000 euros ($950,000) as parliamentary assistants or advisors. French lawmakers are allowed to employ family members, but investigators are searching for evidence of what work Fillon's wife did. He revealed Wednesday he is to meet investigating magistrates to be charged on March 15, sparking a series of defections from his team. His foreign affairs point man and his campaign spokesman deserted him and the leader of the small centrist UDI party said it was withdrawing its backing. The left-leaning Liberation newspaper wrote: "It is no longer the rats leaving a sinking ship, but the ship leaving the rat." With just seven weeks to go before voting begins, the entourage of 71-year-old former premier Alain Juppe has said he is prepared to take over. But high-profile Fillon supporters from the business world rallied round him. Henri de Castries, a former CEO of the Axa insurance giant, said Fillon should remain in the race because he had "legitimacy" from his clear victory over Juppe in November's nominating contest. Despite a forecast of heavy rain, Fillon's campaign is hoping for a massive turnout on Sunday, helped by the organising prowess of groups such as Manif Pour Tous, which staged a huge protest against gay marriage in October. Fillon is a devout Catholic and his surprise win in the Republicans' primary was widely attributed to his conservative social views. Juppe, his possible replacement, is a former premier who was given a suspended jail sentence in 2004 over a party funding scandal. He is more centrist than Fillon and believes France needs to regain its "happiness". Juppe has said he would only replace Fillon if the candidate makes the decision to pull out himself, "and the rightwing and centre camps... have to be united behind him", a source in Juppe's camp told AFP. Distraction from issues One poll on Friday showed Juppe would vault into the lead if he stood. Juppe would have 26.5 percent of votes, narrowly ahead of Macron on 25 percent, while Le Pen would slip to third place on 24 percent, according to the Odoxa-Dentsu Consulting survey of 943 people. Le Pen, 48, campaigning on an anti-immigration and anti-EU platform, has sought to capitalise on the anti-establishment sentiment that propelled US President Donald Trump to power and led to the British vote to leave the European Union. Polls currently show however that the leader National Front (FN) chief will be beaten in the second round by either the fast-rising Macron or the conservative candidate. (AFP)

Beleaguered Fillon vows to fight on amid pressure to step down

France&#39;s far-right party leader Marine Le Pen on Sunday&nbsp;told thousands of flag-waving supporters chanting &quot;This is our country!&quot; that she alone would protect them against Islamic fundamentalism and globalisation if elected president in May.

&quot;It is pretty obvious, the left-right division doesn&#39;t mean anything anymore,&quot; Le Pen told supporters at her campaign launch rally in Lyon. &quot;The division is not between right and left anymore, but between patriots and pro-globalisation.&quot;

In 144 &quot;commitments&quot; published on Saturday, Le Pen said she would drastically curb migration, expel all illegal migrants and reserve certain rights now available to all residents, including free education, to French citizens only. Her anti-EU National Front (FN) government would also take France out of the euro zone, hold a referendum on EU membership, slap taxes on imports and on the job contracts of foreigners.

Buoyed by Trump&#39;s victory and Britons&#39; vote to leave the European Union, Le Pen&#39;s party hopes for similar populist momentum in France.

With hitherto favourite Francois Fillon, a conservative, embroiled in scandal over his wife&#39;s job and rising centrist star, Emmanuel Macron, yet untested, Le Pen&#39;s FN says it can thwart polls that see her losing in a second round run-off. Le Pen&#39;s anti-immigration, anti-EU policy platform appealed to supporters at the rally.

&quot;Do you think this is normal that a French family who has been working for all their life, can&#39;t not even pay for food to eat, while we are giving millions of euros to foreigners?&quot; said construction worker Pierre Megias, after the rally.

Le Pen&#39;s outsider status attracted 29-year-old teacher Anne-Sophie Legauffre.

&quot;When we see other candidates emerging, such as Emmanuel Macron, who is a banker, supported by bankers and so on...I don&#39;t think what he wants to fight for is the French identity,&quot; she said.

The most recent polls indicate that Marine Le Pen would win the first round of the presidential election, but she would be beaten in the second round, whichever candidate she faces.

On the other side of Lyon, far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon held a rally, as did centrist Macron, as candidates keep a close watch of each other&#39;s moves.

(Reuters)

Officially launching her campaign, Le Pen committed to drastically curbing migration and expelling all illegal migrants

France's far-right party leader Marine Le Pen on Sunday told thousands of flag-waving supporters chanting "This is our country!" that she alone would protect them against Islamic fundamentalism and globalisation if elected president in May. "It is pretty obvious, the left-right division doesn't mean anything anymore," Le Pen told supporters at her campaign launch rally in Lyon. "The division is not between right and left anymore, but between patriots and pro-globalisation." In 144 "commitments" published on Saturday, Le Pen said she would drastically curb migration, expel all illegal migrants and reserve certain rights now available to all residents, including free education, to French citizens only. Her anti-EU National Front (FN) government would also take France out of the euro zone, hold a referendum on EU membership, slap taxes on imports and on the job contracts of foreigners. Buoyed by Trump's victory and Britons' vote to leave the European Union, Le Pen's party hopes for similar populist momentum in France. With hitherto favourite Francois Fillon, a conservative, embroiled in scandal over his wife's job and rising centrist star, Emmanuel Macron, yet untested, Le Pen's FN says it can thwart polls that see her losing in a second round run-off. Le Pen's anti-immigration, anti-EU policy platform appealed to supporters at the rally. "Do you think this is normal that a French family who has been working for all their life, can't not even pay for food to eat, while we are giving millions of euros to foreigners?" said construction worker Pierre Megias, after the rally. Le Pen's outsider status attracted 29-year-old teacher Anne-Sophie Legauffre. "When we see other candidates emerging, such as Emmanuel Macron, who is a banker, supported by bankers and so on...I don't think what he wants to fight for is the French identity," she said. The most recent polls indicate that Marine Le Pen would win the first round of the presidential election, but she would be beaten in the second round, whichever candidate she faces. On the other side of Lyon, far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon held a rally, as did centrist Macron, as candidates keep a close watch of each other's moves. (Reuters)

France election: Far-right Le Pen says 'This is our country!'

Under-fire French presidential candidate Francois Fillon on Thursday responded to claims that his wife had been paid 500,000 euros ($540,000) for a fake job by saying she has &quot;always worked for me&quot;.

Fillon, a conservative who is currently the frontrunner in opinion polls, said British-born Penelope Fillon had been his parliamentary assistant for a number of years doing tasks such as correcting his speeches.

He told TF1 television her role was &quot;perfectly clear&quot;.

&quot;My wife has always worked for me, she has always been by my side in my public life,&quot; Fillon said.

&quot;She corrected my speeches, she received a huge number of people whom I couldn&#39;t see, she represented me at demonstrations, she did press reviews for me and she passed on people&#39;s requests,&quot; Fillon said.

The national financial prosecutor has opened an investigation into the allegations, which were made by the Canard Enchaine newspaper.

Fillon&#39;s lawyer submitted documents Thursday to investigators to support his case.

The Canard Enchaine claims Penelope received the money between 1998 and 2012, but said it could find no one who recalled her working in the parliament building.

Polls currently show Fillon, who has campaigned as a &quot;clean candidate&quot; unsullied by the legal woes of some of his rightwing rivals, will face far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the election runoff in May.

(AFP)

To suggestions that his wife was paid for a bogus job, Francois Fillon said she earned the money for correcting his speeches

Under-fire French presidential candidate Francois Fillon on Thursday responded to claims that his wife had been paid 500,000 euros ($540,000) for a fake job by saying she has "always worked for me". Fillon, a conservative who is currently the frontrunner in opinion polls, said British-born Penelope Fillon had been his parliamentary assistant for a number of years doing tasks such as correcting his speeches. He told TF1 television her role was "perfectly clear". "My wife has always worked for me, she has always been by my side in my public life," Fillon said. "She corrected my speeches, she received a huge number of people whom I couldn't see, she represented me at demonstrations, she did press reviews for me and she passed on people's requests," Fillon said. The national financial prosecutor has opened an investigation into the allegations, which were made by the Canard Enchaine newspaper. Fillon's lawyer submitted documents Thursday to investigators to support his case. The Canard Enchaine claims Penelope received the money between 1998 and 2012, but said it could find no one who recalled her working in the parliament building. Polls currently show Fillon, who has campaigned as a "clean candidate" unsullied by the legal woes of some of his rightwing rivals, will face far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the election runoff in May. (AFP)

Under-attack French candidate rebuffs wife's fake job claims

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