FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Anti-immigration MEP Sarah Knafo of the Reconquest party is poised to advance to the second round of the Paris mayoral election, in what would be a historic run-off for a far-right candidate, according to a new poll shared with Politico.
The poll by Cluster17, a prominent French polling organization, shows Knafo, who officially entered the race in January, winning 10 percent of the vote in next month's municipal elections.
The data suggests her campaign is gaining ground, a surprise in a city where the far right has always struggled, as she was on track to win just 6 percent in December.
Reconquest is the party founded by Knafo's partner, far-right rebel politician and commentator Éric Zemmour, who came fourth in the first round of the 2022 presidential election.
Candidates who meet the 10 percent support threshold in the first round on March 15 advance to a runoff and win representation on the city council. As things stand, this would see an unprecedented five-candidate race in the second round on March 22.
Socialist candidate Emmanuel Grégoire leads the race with 33 percent of the vote, according to the poll. He is followed by Rachida Dati, the conservative culture minister, with 26 percent. Centrist Pierre-Yves Bournazel received 14 percent, while Sophia Chikirou of the left-wing France Unbowed party received 12 percent.
Knafo's platform includes some radical proposals, such as halving the number of public employees in Paris and reversing some of the key policies of current mayor Anne Hidalgo, including lowering the speed limit on Paris's ring road. Hidalgo also banned cars from the banks of the Seine River, but Knafo wants to build a double-decker overpass on the banks instead, with cars traveling underground and pedestrians above.
Grégoire and Dati are clearly favorites in the race, but both have incentives to form an alliance with candidates at their political extremes between the first and second rounds.
Jean-Yves Dormagen, president and founder of Cluster17, warned that Dati is “engaged in a strong movement” between Knafo to her right and Bournazel in the center.
Lini një Përgjigje