France's far right National Front party is expected to make huge gains in Sunday's regional elections after seizing upon the Paris terror attacks and Europe's migrant crisis.

The anti immigration, anti EU party will lead the first round of votes in six out of 13 regions, a survey by Ipsos pollsters predicted.

National Front, which does not currently govern any regions, has become increasingly popular since controversial politician Marine Le Pen, 47, took over as leader from her father in 2011.

Power: National Front leader leader Marine Le Pen (centre) is expected to win the northern region by December 13, pollsters have predicted

Opportunists: France's far right National Front party could make huge gains in regional elections after taking advantage of the migrant crisis as well as other national disasters

Every party that attracts at least 10 per cent of votes on Sunday will qualify for the 'run off' elections on December 13.

While National Front does not govern any regions currently, several opinion polls have predicted they will win at least one, maybe more, by the run offs on December 13.

Many opinion polls see them as show them as making the run offs in most regions, along with the Republicans and Socialists.

'What was once a ceiling for FN [National Front] votes has become a floor after Charlie [Hebdo attacks], said Jerome Fourquet, an analyst for pollster Ifop.

He added: 'The FN building is getting taller and taller now thanks to the migrant crisis and the terrorist attacks.

'Everything is adding up for the National Front to make an unprecedented score.'

Terror: The anti immigration, anti EU party has seized upon the recent Paris terror attacks and the ones on Charlie Hebdo in February

Growth: 'The FN [National Front] building is getting taller and taller now thanks to the migrant crisis and the terrorist attacks (pictured, flowers laid outside a besieged restaurant),' one analyst said

If three parties all contest the second round, National Front is predicted to win the north and south east, and possibly two or three more regions.

It means President Francois Hollande's party, who govern most regions as well as the nation, may be ousted.

Le pen is predicted to win in northern France while her niece Marion has a 'good chance' of taking over the south eastern region.

Seizing the northern Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie region, France's third biggest with a population of six million, would give the party a platform to show they can rule the country.

Last July, Le Pen was charged with 'inciting hatred' after she compared Muslim street prayers to Nazi occupation.

HOW NATIONAL FRONT ROSE FROM OUTSIDERS TO ELECTION CONTENDERS National Front was founded in 1972 to unite several of France's national movements. Marine Le Pen's father, Jean Marie, 87, was elected as its first leader and continued to steer the party until he was ousted in 2011. While it has largely been relegated to the fringes, the party has recently emerged as the dominant force of French nationalism. During the 2002 presidential election, Jean Marie Le Pen became the first far right candidate to compete in a 'run off' - the second round of voting in an election. He defeated a Socialist candidate in the first round but came a distant second to Jacques Chirac in the second. Le Pen was nicknamed the 'Devil of the Republic' by many news outlets because of his controversial views and speeches. Jean Marie Le Pen was elected as National Front's first leader and continued to steer the party until he was ousted in 2011 Marine Le Pen made the party more attractive to voters by orchestrating the expulsion of controversial figures including her father He has been accused and convicted of xenophobia and anti-Semitism and in 2005, a Paris court found him to be 'inciting racial hatred' after he attacked Muslims in an interview. His daughter Marine, who leads the party today, started a policy of 'de-demonisation' to give National Front a broader appeal. She tried to give it a softer image by orchestrating the expulsion of controversial figures including her father. The party has become increasingly popular since her appointment. It won several municipalities in 2014 and became the first French party at the 2014 European elections with a quarter of the votes. Several pollsters predicted she would lead the first round of the 2017 Presidential elections and many analysts now consider her party one of the biggest in France. Advertisement

Le Pen said in 2010: 'For those who like to talk about World War Two, to talk about occupation, we could talk about, for once, the occupation of our territory. It is an occupation of part of the territory, suburbs where religious law is applied.

'Sure, there are no armoured vehicles, no soldiers, but it is an occupation nonetheless and it weighs on residents.'

In October, prosecutors told Lyon Correctional Court the charges should be dropped because she was protected by freedom of expression.

She said the 'political trial' had been launched to scupper her chances of winning elections.

Last month, Le Pen said France should stop taking in any more migrants after the Paris terror attack which left 130 dead, adding that the country was 'no longer safe'.

Influx: Le Pen said France should stop taking in any more migrants (pictured in Greece) after the terror attack which left 130 dead

In a statement, National Front (FN) said one of the attackers had arrived in Greece the previous month 'among the mass of migrants who flow into Europe each day'.

The statement, issued three weeks ahead of regional elections in France, added: 'As a precaution, Marine Le Pen calls for the immediate halt of all intake of migrants in France.'

The prospect of a National Front surge is worrying for some top business leaders and news outlets who have urged voters not to back them.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls has said 'everything must be done' to keep National Front out of power, even as a coalition partner with the conservative Republican party, led by former President Nicolas Sarkozy.