Emmanuel Macron (center) is surrounded by security staff and journalists as he talks to employees outside the Whirlpool factory in Amiens, northern France | Eric Feferberg/AFP via Getty Images Emmanuel Macron off to bad start in French presidential runoff campaign: poll Candidates enter the campaign’s final stretch before May 7 ballot.

More people believe far-right candidate Marine Le Pen got off to a good start in the final stretch of campaigning for the French presidency than her centrist rival Emmanuel Macron, according to a new poll published Thursday.

The Elabe poll for BFMTV, which surveyed 1,002 people online over two days, found 50 percent believed Le Pen's campaign for the runoff vote on May 7 started well, versus 43 percent who thought the same of Macron's.

Macron has had a shaky week since he secured victory in the first round of voting for the French presidency. On Wednesday, Le Pen made a surprise appearance at a Whirlpool factory in Amiens where Macron was scheduled to speak to workers, and trolled her rival by snapping selfies with workers on the parking lot.

Macron, a former banker, also drew criticism for celebrating his win at La Rotonde, an upscale Paris restaurant, with Le Pen characterizing it as an example of his being out of touch with ordinary people.

Macron is still expected to beat Le Pen in the runoff vote.