An unlikely alliance of Communists and Catholics could yet spoil Macron’s coronation

After their humiliation with Brexit and Donald Trump, the pollsters returned to form in France with their predictions of a Macron and Le Pen first round victory. If the polls are as accurate with their forecast for the second round, then the new president of France will be the centrist Emmanuel Macron. The 39-year-old is the overwhelming favourite. But nonetheless, there are reasons for the National Front to hope that they could still replicate the political earthquakes of 2016. For that to happen Marine Le Pen will have to attack Macron on two fronts with the purpose of attracting votes from both the far-left and the conservative right. Between them, François Fillon and Jean-Luc Mélenchon received 39 per cent of the vote on Sunday night in finishing third and fourth respectively. Fillon swiftly called on his supporters to switch their allegiance to Macron on May 7 – but Mélenchon refused to follow suit, declaring that ‘each knows in their conscience what is their duty’.