![French President Francois Hollande delivers a speech in the rain on the Ile de Sein on August 25, 2014.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/untcsid/20140912121351im_/http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/9/8/1410162220778/a924e83a-a2c8-460f-a34e-8613c7fa937e-460x276.jpeg)
An Ifop poll released by Le Figaro on Friday placed far-right Front National (FN) leader Marine Le Pen ahead of President François Hollande in a hypothetical second round runoff. It is the first time the FN tops a presidential poll against one of France’s two main parties, the Socialist Party (PS) and the centre-right Union for a Popular Movement (UMP).
Ifop @Le_Figaro poll: Le Pen ahead in all I round scenarios, for the first time ahead against Hollande in II round pic.twitter.com/MXbUnl9l8e
— Alberto Nardelli (@AlbertoNardelli) September 5, 2014
This poll comes off the back of May’s European Parliament elections where the FN, for the first time ever in a nationwide vote, emerged as the largest party with 25%.
The Le Pen poll matters
France isn’t of course due a presidential election until 2017, and if a vote took place today, despite the UMP’s judicial challenges and apparent inability in finding a new leader, Hollande would unlikely reach a second round.
This important caveat to one side, the Le Pen poll is significant. There has long been an unwritten rule in French politics: the supporters of the two main parties have historically coalesced against FN candidates in second round votes. The clearest example in 2002’s presidential election when Jacques Chirac defeated Jean-Marie Le Pen 82-18%.
Poll after poll this tacit agreement appears to be coming less. This matters. While as things stand a Le Pen presidency is unthinkable, the FN is making breakthroughs that few would have predicted. In local elections held earlier this year, the party achieved its best result ever - despite running in a fraction of the 36,680 municipalities, the FN won more than 1,500 councillors and 12 cities, reached a record 229 second round runoffs (from less than 600 lists presented). Le Pen’s party also made significant inroads into many larger cities, winning about 30% of the vote in Marseille.
In parallel to the FN’s growing support, the popularity of President Hollande has reached a new record low. Less than 20% of voters now approve of the president.
![President Hollande's popularity](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/untcsid/20140912121351im_/http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/9/8/1410174523758/62d2510a-f75d-4a71-aa61-80d6683e152c-460x401.png)
The president has been unable to get economic growth up and unemployment down, a pledge on which he bet his presidency. According to TNS polls, Hollande is the most unpopular president of the Fifth Republic.
![Hollande is the most unpopular French president ever](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/untcsid/20140912121351im_/http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/9/8/1410170050827/03fda09b-f507-4221-a19a-ae5fb6c3f02d-460x325.jpeg)
Even more worryingly for the Hollande camp is the loss of support among socialist voters. According to recent polls, nearly one-in-two no longer approve of the president. Figures released by the Journal du Dimanche on Sunday found that 85% of French voters don’t think Hollande should seek a second term - Georges Pompidou (who died in office) aside, this is unprecedented.