---
title: "Far-right Le Pen and hard-left Melenchon seen reaching French presidential run-off, poll shows"
description: "French far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and far-left contender Jean-Luc Melenchon are seen reaching a run-off vote in next year's presidential election in each of five scenarios polled, according to a survey published on Monday."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "World"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-09-28-far-right-le-pen-and-hard-left-melenchon-seen-reaching-french-presidential-run-off-poll-shows/"
published: "2026-09-28T13:15:39"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 132
---

# Far-right Le Pen and hard-left Melenchon seen reaching French presidential run-off, poll shows

> French far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and far-left contender Jean-Luc Melenchon are seen reaching a run-off vote in next year's presidential election in each of five scenarios polled, according to a survey published on Monday.

By Reuters · Published 28 September 2026, 15:15 SAST

## Content

Le Pen, who leads the far-right National Rally (RN), is seen winning 35% to 36% in the first round, the Toluna Harris Interactive poll showed, up from 33% in an earlier poll published on September 14.

Melenchon, of the France Unbowed party, would join Le Pen in the second round, winning between 17% and 18%, according to the survey, which was conducted from September 22 to 24 for French TV channel M6 and Luxembourg-based media group RTL.

Leading centrist hopeful Edouard Philippe was seen winning 13% to 16%, not enough to reach the run-off.

Le Pen is seen beating both Melenchon and Philippe in the second round. She would win 69% of votes against Melenchon and 57% against Philippe, according to the survey.

(Reporting by Mateusz Rabiega in GdanskEditing by Gareth Jones)