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The Front National chief is set receive more than a quarter of the vote, ahead of Thatcher admirer François Fillon, who is on 22 per cent, and former economy minister Emmanuel Macron, who is on 21 per cent, the Kantar Sofres one-point poll revealed. Benoît Hamon, a staunch Socialist and the surprise winner of Sunday’s left-wing primary, is set to win 15 per cent of the first-round presidential vote. But despite being guaranteed a place in the second round of the election Mrs Le Pen is set to lose the presidential race to one of her two rivals.

Things you didn't know about Marine Le Pen Fri, May 5, 2017 Marine Le Pen is a French politician who is the president of the National Front, a national-conservative political party in France and one of its main political forces. Play slideshow AFP/Getty Images 1 of 10 Described as more democratic and republican than her nationalist father, she has led a movement of "de-demonization of the Front National" to detoxify it and soften its image

GETTY Marine Le Pen is set to take a shock lead in the French presidential race

According to the poll, published by Le Figaro, hop against Mr Fillon, the Front National chief would get 40 per cent of the vote while Mr Fillon would win 60 per cent. And against Mr Macron, Mrs Le Pen would win 35 per cent of the vote while the left's "rising star" would take 65 per cent. Under the unlikely scenario of a showdown between Mr Fillon and Mr Macron, the rebellious socialist will win the presidential race with 58 per cent of the total vote.

GETTY Marine Le Pen is guaranteed a place in the second round of the election

Mr Fillon’s popularity has indeed declined Emmanuel Rivière of Kantar Public

The poll, which was carried out between January 26 and 27, shows that the recent scandal involving Mr Fillon and his wife, Penelope, put a dent in the former presidential favourite’s approval ratings, but boosted Mrs Le Pen’s campaign. Last week, a press report accusing Mr Fillon of employing his wife as a parliamentary assistant on a large salary without doing any work cast a dark shadow over the right-wing candidate. Director general of Kantar Public, Emmanuel Rivière, told Le Figaro: “Mr Fillon’s popularity has indeed declined since the scandal broke and he is no longer guaranteed a place in the second round run-off.”

GETTY Francois Fillon's approval has slumped after he was accused of paying his wife for 'fake jobs'