Le Pen, Melenchon head for run-off as France's political divide deepens, poll shows

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and hard-left rival Jean-Luc Melenchon widened their lead over other candidates and would face each other in a run-off in all tested scenarios, a poll showed on Monday, stressing growing polarisation as President Emmanuel Macron's era ends.

Le Pen would top the first-round vote with between 35% and 37% depending on the scenarios tested by pollster Toluna Harris Interactive in a survey carried out between October 5 and October 8

A similar poll last month showed her at between 33% and 36%

Melenchon, the candidate of the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, is seen reaching a run-off in all the five scenarios polled

A similar poll last month showed him finishing third in two configurations out of five

Le Pen is seen beating Melenchon easily in a run-off

As Macron's second and final five-year term comes to an end, the unpopular president leaves behind a hollowed-out political centre and weak economy, creating an opening for hardline parties, such as LFI and Le Pen's National Rally

Melenchon has already run three times for president in 2012, 2017 and 2022 but has never managed to reach the second round. Le Pen has also run these same three times. She made it to the run-off in 2017 and 2022, but lost to Macron