Paris (AFP)

The French are more and more likely to consider that the National Rally is "not a danger for democracy", but they are only a third to consider it capable of governing and a quarter to judge that Marine Le Pen "would make a good President of the Republic".

Some 42% of French people believe that the RN does not represent "a danger for democracy", an appreciation up 1 point in 2020 and 6 points since 2017, while 49% consider that it represents "a danger" ( -2 points), according to a Kantar Public poll carried out for Le Monde and franceinfo and published on Monday.

Adherence to the ideas of the RN is progressing since 29% of French people say they "agree" with them, an appreciation up 3 points in one year, without however reaching the 2014 record (34%).

Conversely, a clear majority (62%) say they “disagree” with the ideas of the RN (-5 points).

The proportion of French people who have never voted for the RN but who plan to do so is also increasing (12%, +4 points).

A majority of French people (55%) consider that the RN is able to "access power", a figure which stabilizes after two strong increases in 2019 (+7 points) and in 2020 (+9 points).

But only 33% consider that the RN has the capacity to "participate in a government", an appreciation up 3 points (31% at LR, up 7 points), while 56% (-3 points) believe that the RN is "only a party which aims to gather the opposition votes".

On the president of the RN and candidate for the Elysée Marine Le Pen, a majority of French people perceive her as "voluntary" (67%, -1 point) and "capable of making decisions" (53%, +2 points).

But they are only 24% (+2 points) to estimate that she "would make a good President of the Republic" and 37% (+2 points) to wish that she be the candidate of the RN in 2022.

In addition, 37% (+1 point) of the French consider her "capable of rallying beyond her camp" and 42% consider that she "understands the daily problems of the French" (+3 points).

The Republicans, who are torn in the regional elections over the advisability of allying with LREM, are 47% to consider that their lists should ally with those of LREM in the second round, and 33% to prefer an alliance with the lists of RN (33%).

Survey conducted from April 29 to May 4 with a sample of 1,015 adults, representative of the entire adult population, interviewed face-to-face, according to the quota method. The margin of error is between 1 , 3 and 3.1 points.

© 2021 AFP