(Bloomberg) -- Members of France's Yellow Vests protest movement are preparing a run for European parliament as the ‘Citizen's Initiative Rally' in a move that could challenge Marine Le Pen's grip on populist voters.
Ingrid Levavasseur, a health-care aide from Normandy, would head the party's list for the May 26 vote, according to a statement from the new party reported by Agence France-Presse.
An Elabe poll conducted earlier this week found that 13% of voters would choose a Yellow Vests party if given the chance. The highest number of those voting intentions came from Marine Le Pen's National Rally, whose share was seen falling from 20.5% to 17.5%.
French President Emmanuel Macron's party, which leads the race with 23.5% of voting intentions, according to the poll, saw its score dropping one percent to 22.5% if the Yellow Vests staged a run.
Protesters wearing yellow safety vests have blockaded French shopping centers and staged sometimes violent marches on Paris since November. What started as a movement against a proposed hike in fuel taxes has broadened its demands for boosting the incomes of working class people and continues to call for the resignation of President Macron.
To contact the reporter on this story: Robert Williams in Paris at rwilliams323@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Eric Pfanner at epfanner1@bloomberg.net, Cara Moffat
©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
