Paris (AFP)

Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen still come first in the first round of the 2022 presidential election, the outgoing president ahead of the head of the RN including in the presence of the polemicist Eric Zemmour credited with around 8% of the voting intentions, according to a poll released on Friday.

Whatever the scenarios, identity of the champion on the right or candidacy of Mr. Zemmour, the Head of State would collect between 24 to 26% of the votes against 19 to 23% for the president of the National Rally, according to an Ipsos-Sopra poll Steria for franceinfo and "Le Parisien / Today" in France.

The right-wing candidate would systematically arrive in third position whether it is Xavier Bertrand, Valérie Pécresse or Michel Barnier, even if the two region presidents are distancing the former chief Brexit negotiator.

Mr. Bertrand and Ms. Pécresse are however in a pocket handkerchief in the voting intentions.

Depending or not on a candidacy of Eric Zemmour, the boss of the Hauts de France would garner 15 to 17% of the vote against 14 to 16% for the benefit of his rival.

If he decided to apply, Eric Zemmour would obtain 8 to 8.5% according to this poll.

He would be on a par with the leader of rebellious France, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who would also collect between 8 and 8.5%.

If he was nominated as a candidate at the end of the environmentalist primary, it is the EELV MEP Yannick Jadot who would come out on top of the left forces by ranking 4th in this first virtual round.

With 10 to 11% of voting intentions, he would be ahead of the socialist Anne Hidalgo (9%).

Further Nicolas Dupont-Aignan would collect 2 to 5% of the voting intentions, appearing to suffer from a candidacy of Eric Zemmour.

At 2%, Arnaud Montebourg would be ahead of the Communist Fabien Roussel by 1.5%.

Ipsos-Sopra Steria survey for franceinfo and Le Parisien / Today in France, carried out in the field on September 2 and 3, 2021 with a sample of 925 people registered on the electoral rolls and representative of the French population aged 18 years and more, according to the quota method.

© 2021 AFP