by Thomas Hunt
May 02, 2017

from Express Website

Emmanuel Macron's lead over Marine Le Pen

has taken a heavy hit

as France prepares to vote in

the final round of

the election on Sunday.
 

Recent moves by Ms Le Pen to appeal to a wider audience seem to be working as she has removed herself as the leader of the Front National party, and rebranded her campaign with the new motto "Choose France".

Pollster Harris Interactive, who correctly predicted the result of the first round, revealed a six points slip by Mr Macron since last Sunday.

Le Pen enjoyed an improvement

in the latest election poll.

GETTY
 

Ms Le Pen said:

"The country Mr Macron wants is no longer France; it's a space, a wasteland, a trading room where there are only consumers and producers."

The latest polls were conducted prior to the announcement that defeated first round presidential candidate Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, would be Ms Le Pen's prime minister if she wins the presidency.

Mr Dupont-Aignan's policies are seen as less extreme than her own, despite being euro-skeptic and a longstanding critic of the Eurozone.

The French media reported it represented an important move to grab moderate voters and could prove a decisive decision during the election on May 7.
 

Mr Dupont-Aignan and Ms Le Pen, in a joint statement on Saturday, said that,

"the transition from the single currency to the European common currency is not a prerequisite for any economic policy".

The presidential candidate denied that her position on the euro has changed.

The former Front National leader said:

"I have been calling for the transformation of the single currency to the common currency for quite a long time, so there is no contradiction in that."

The announcement was a surprise

as he had claimed he would never align

with Ms Le Pen.

GETTY
 

The Harris Interactive poll places Mr Macron on 61 per cent and Ms Le Pen on 33 per cent.

Robert Ménard, the mayor of the town of Béziers in the south of France who was elected with Front National support, said:

"It's very good news. It proves that she has finally understood."
 

 

Robert Ménard
The Mayor has been a controversial figure

but has backed Ms Le Pen.

GETTY

"To win an election it's necessary to assemble and gather first in your own camp. For the Front National, that's the right."

Political Science Professor Douglas Webber said:

"It would be almost impossible for the EU to survive if Marine Le Pen should win the up-coming French Presidential elections, and subsequently win a referendum to withdraw France from it."