Le Pen More Likely to Enter 2nd Round of Presidential Race Than Melenchon, Ex-Candidate Says

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) - Right-wing National Rally party leader Marine Le Pen has better chance to face off Emmanuel Macron in the second round of the country's presidential election than the best positioned left-wing candidate, leader of the France Unbowed party Jean-Luc Melenchon, Francois Asselineau, a former French presidential candidate, said.

"It is without any doubt Marine Le Pen who has the most chances of being at the second round. She managed to remain the number two in all polls, behind President Macron for the last 2 months. Despite or thanks to the candidacy of Eric Zemmour, she now appears much more "middle of the road" than she ever was," Asselineau, who campaigned in 2017 and attempted to run in 2022, said.

He noted that Le Pen refrained from speaking much on immigration, campaigning instead on the issues like inflation and the energy crisis triggered by the situation in Ukraine. While she was briefly under fire for her good relations with Russia, Le Pen managed to fend off the critics precisely thanks to her focus on the everyday financial difficulties of the French, particularly of the less affluent population.

"For Jean-Luc Melenchon, who has made a brilliant 'remontada' [comeback], it is less evident. He made a good campaign on traditional hard left themes and on ecological issues, being an excellent speaker, but is now at around 15% of the vote, far behind Marine Le Pen at about 23%," Asselineau explained, noting that he would need to somehow get all the votes from the other left-wing candidates to have a shot at the second round.

This, however, will prove rather unlikely as the French left is divided between multiple parties that have disavowed each other. At the same time, Melenchon could be saved by the abstained voters, who could be at about 30% of the population in this election cycle, according to polls.

"The polls are probably right to announce the same 'finale' for the campaign with a duel between Macron and Le Pen, just like in 2017. But still, Melenchon has a chance to be at the second round, if abstentionists wake up and go to vote on the left of the political spectrum," Asselineau opined.

In addition to Macron, Le Pen and Melenchon, the list of presidential candidates includes Republican candidate Valerie Pecresse, Eric Zemmour of the right-wing Reconquete party, Communist Party leader Fabien Roussel, and leader of the right-wing France Arise party Nicolas Dupont-Aignan.

Candidate for the Socialists and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, candidate from the French Greens Yannick Jadot, a Trotskyist Nathalie Arthaud of the left-wing Workers' Struggle party, lawmaker Jean Lassalle and left-wing politician Philippe Poutou are also seeking the top post.