Edouard Philippe listens during a meeting between the Alliance for General News Press and several presidential candidates in Paris on October 14, 2026.Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images

French presidential hopeful Philippe slips in new poll – POLITICO

by · POLITICO

PARIS — Former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe is losing ground to far-left challenger Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the French presidential race, according to polling conducted exclusively for POLITICO.

The survey, carried out by Cluster 17 between Oct. 19 and Oct. 22, showed Philippe with 16% trailing Mélenchon on 18.5%. Cluster 17’s poll on the presidential election last month had the two tied at 19% apiece.

Both leaders are significantly behind far-right front-runner Marine Le Pen, who held her first presidential campaign rally on Sunday. Le Pen’s candidacy does not appear to have been significantly affected by allegations that her protégé Jordan Bardella made antisemitic comments in private as a teenager. Bardella, who was reelected as president of the National Rally at the far-right party’s conference this past weekend, has repeatedly denied the accusations.