French President Emmanuel Macron would beat the far-right leader Marine Le Pen in the run-off for the 2022 presidential elections even as dissatisfaction with his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic remains high in the country, according to a poll published by Le Monde.
Macron would beat Le Pen by 57% to 43% in the run-off, with a margin of error of 1.4 points, according to the Ipsos-Sopra Steria survey, which polled 10,000 people aged 18 or older online between April 9 and April 15.
Macron and Le Pen are far ahead of other potential candidates, according to the poll. The two are neck-to-neck in the first round, with Macron slightly behind Le Pen in one scenario, the poll showed.
Previous polls showed a narrowing gap between Macron and Le Pen.
Macron is under pressure before next year’s elections, with France in its third national lockdown while several other European countries are reopening their economies. France also is facing a wave of terror attacks, the latest of which took place Friday, stoking fears over immigration and security that may push more voters to the far-right.
Still, the pandemic remains the biggest concern for poll participants, ahead of purchasing power and the environment, with 64% of respondents convinced that Macron’s record on COVID-19 is negative, according to Le Monde.
The poll results show Le Pen’s capacity to retain a loyal base in spite of her loss to Macron in 2017 elections, according to Le Monde.
