PARIS, Dec 18 — A new poll showed French conservative Valerie Pecresse as the likely challenger to President Emmanuel Macron in the second round of presidential elections in April 2022.

The Ipsos/Sopra Steria poll showed Pecresse — who early this month won her Les Republicains party’s primary to be its candidate - winning 17 per cent of first-round voting intentions, behind Macron’s 25.5 per cent, but up 10 points from a poll in October.

The two candidates winning the most votes in the first round on April 10 will go through to the April 24 run-off vote.

Far-right TV chat show personality Eric Zemmour, who had come second to Macron in several first-round voting intention polls this autumn, saw his share of first-round intentions slide to 14.5 per cent from 16 per cent in October.

That put him on par with far-right Rassemblement National party leader Marine Le Pen, who also slid to 14.5 per cent from 16 per cent.

Green party leader Yannick Jadot and far-left Jean-Luc Melenchon came well behind, each with 8.5 per cent of voting intentions.

The poll of more than 10,000 people was conducted via the Internet from December 7 to 13. — Reuters