39-year-old Emmanuel Macron is a former minister of economy and finance of France.
A new poll today showed centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron for the first time beating Marine Le Pen in the initial round of the French presidential elections next month. Mr Macron's lead comes as a growing list of backers from both the left and the centre throw their support behind the 39-year-old former economy minister who is trying to upend France's traditional politics.
The Harris Interactive poll showed Mr Macron taking 26 per cent of the vote on April 23 - a six-point gain in two weeks - compared to 25 per cent for National Front leader Le Pen, who had long been leading in the first round.
In the likely event that no one wins an outright majority, a run-off between the two top candidates will be held on May 7.
The Harris poll shows Mr Macron would take 65 per cent of that vote to Le Pen's 35 per cent.
Though no polls currently show her winning, anti-immigration nationalist Le Pen is hoping to emulate the shock success of President Donald Trump in US elections last year.
In a boost to his campaign on Wednesday, Mr Macron won the backing of Socialist former Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe who called him "a reformist, a European and a realist".
Mr Delanoe, who oversaw the French capital from 2001 to 2014, told France Inter radio he backed Macron because it was essential to "throw the most weight possible behind the candidate who can beat Madam Le Pen in the first round".
His stance on the prospect of a Le Pen presidency was echoed by France's ambassador to Japan, who on Wednesday broke diplomatic protocol by stating publicly that he would refuse to serve if she won.
"If the French tragedy comes to pass and leads to her election, I would withdraw from all my diplomatic functions," Thierry Dana, 60, wrote in a column in Le Monde newspaper.