France's far-right National Rally (RN) party is expected to fall short of an absolute majority in the second round of parliamentary elections on Sunday, according to the latest opinion poll.
It is the second survey in as many days to predict the party of three-time presidential candidate Marine Le Pen's RN will win more seats than any others, but miss the 289 threshold required for an absolute majority.
This suggests that a "republican front", by which more than 200 candidates across the political spectrum pulled out of three-way second rounds to clear the path for whoever is best placed to defeat the RN runner in their district, appears to be working.
The IFOP poll for LCI and Le Figaro shows the RN winning 210 to 240 seats, down from 240-270 before the withdrawals.
The leftist New Popular Front is forecast to be in second place, with 170 to 200 seats, ahead of President Emmanuel Macron's centrist Together group with 95-125 seats.
The conservative Republicans are set to win 25 to 45 seats.
Yesterday, a Harris Interactive poll forecast 190 to 220 seats for the RN.
Earlier, Ms Le Pen said her RN party was still capable of winning an absolute majority in the second round of legislative elections this weekend.
While the RN was ahead in the popular vote in the 30 June first round, a poll published yesterday predicted it would now fall well short of an absolute majority in the National Assembly.
"I think there is still the capacity to have an absolute majority with the electorate turning out in a final effort to get what they want," Ms Le Pen told BFM TV in an interview.
"I say turn out to vote as it's a really the important moment to get a change in politics in all the areas that are making you suffer right now," she said.
If the RN wins an absolute majority of 289 seats in the 577-member National Assembly it will be able to form a government with Ms Le Pen's 28-year-old protege Jordan Bardella as prime minister.
But she acknowledged that the "operation" by Mr Macron's centrists and the New Popular Front (NFP) coalition to withdraw candidates "had the aim of preventing the RN from having an absolute majority."
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The moves have sparked speculation a possible right-centre-left coalition could emerge after the election to prevent the RN taking power.
Ms Le Pen alleged that the "biggest dream" of Mr Macron was to have a "single party" taking in all forces from the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) to right wing Republicans but excluding the RN.
However, Mr Macron made clear at a cabinet meeting yesterday that there was "no question" of the LFI being part of any coalition, according to a participant.
Ms Le Pen, who is expected to make a fourth attempt to win the Elysee in 2027, admitted there had been problems with a handful of RN candidates, one of whom had to withdraw after a picture of her emerged wearing a Nazi Luftwaffe hat.
She said: "There are statements that have been inadmissable and will involve sanctions there are also statements that are just clumsy."
The poll by Harris Interactive projected the RN and its allies would win 190 to 220 seats in the National Assembly, the NFP 159 to 183 seats and Macron's Ensemble alliance 110 to 135.
