French far-right leader Marine Le Pen will lose in an election runoff for president to centrist Emmanuel Macron, though she still appears certain to take lead position in the first round, two opinion polls of voting intentions show.
The election is being held on April 23 and May 7.
An Elabe poll showed Le Pen coming first in the first round with 25.5-26 per cent of the vote against 22-23.5 per cent for Macron - figures roughly similar to a poll by Ifop Fiducial which gave figures of 26 per cent for Le Pen and 21 per cent for Macron.
Both showed scandal-hit conservative candidate Francois Fillon trailing in third place on about 18 per cent.
The Elabe poll showed Le Pen, who heads the anti-immigrant and anti-EU National Front, losing the run-off to Macron, an ex-banker, by 37 per cent to 63 per cent - close to similar readings of 36 per cent and 64 per cent produced by Ifop Fiducial.
Elabe also showed Fillon beating Le Pen in the knockout by 56 per cent to 44 per cent, were he to get through to the second round.
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