The survey, carried out by Elabe, was published by the BFM TV channel, and invites a debate around the question of how much Macron’s recent statements, in which he expressed the intention of making life impossible for people reluctant to get vaccinated against Covid-19, affected him.

For the first time in recent months, an opinion study placed Macron, who still is yet to make his candidacy official, at 23 percent support.

Behind the president, the poll places conservative Valérie Pécresse and far-right leader Marine Le Pen with 17 percent, while also far-right Éric Zemmour remains fourth, with 13 percent.

As for the second round, for the first time in weeks Macron is not shown as the winner for another five-year term, since he would count with the same votes as Pécresse for the elections on April 24th.

There is consensus among analysts that a new Macron-Le Pen face-off would represent the ideal scenario for the ruling party and its supporters, considering the possibility that many French people will re-form a “republican front” to prevent the eventual triumph of the extreme right.

The president has been the target of criticism for his controversial phrase of insisting on harassing people who choose not to be vaccinated, who are around five million.

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