Poll: Macron’s Chances to Secure Lead in 1st Round of French Election Decreasing

French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron’s chances for securing the lead in the first round of election decreased by one percent over the weekend, a survey conducted jointly by the Ifop/Fiducial companies showed Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The independent candidate is expected to receive 19.5 percent of the votes, the Paris Match magazine said, citing the survey's results.

The poll added that the popularity of The Republicans' candidate Francois Fillon has grown by 0.5 percentage points to 18 percent since Friday.

The survey also showed that the popularity of National Front leader Marine Le Pen remained unchanged. She is expected to secure 26 percent of votes in the first round of the presidential election.

Fillon used to be the leader of the presidential race but lost popularity after a scandal that erupted in late January around his wife’s allegedly fake employment. Fillon's chances to enter the second round of the election grow as the gap with Macron narrows.

The first round of the French presidential election is scheduled for April 23, while the run-off is slated for May 7.