France’s Presidential Race: Antisemitic Far-Left Candidate Could Reach Runoff

A dramatic poll published today (Monday) in France indicates that far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon is expected to reach the second round of the presidential election, which will be held at the beginning of next year. According to the poll, he will face Marine Le Pen, leader of the far right.

According to a Reuters report, Le Pen is leading in the polls. In the past, however, whenever she ran, center-right voters preferred to vote for left-wing candidates, as long as she was not elected. This time, according to the report, an absolute majority of right-wing or centrist voters would prefer to vote for her rather than for Mélenchon, who is described in France as antisemitic and extremist from the other side of the political spectrum.

This week’s polls give Mélenchon about 17 percent of the total vote in the first round, compared with Le Pen, who is receiving about 35 percent. In the second round, Le Pen currently leads with 64 percent of the vote.