PARIS: Fears that a high abstention rate could help far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in France's presidential runoff strengthened Tuesday when two-thirds of far-left supporters said they intend to abstain or cast a blank ballot.

An internal survey of supporters of defeated far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon showed only 35 percent would back pro-EU centrist Emmanuel Macron, Le Pen's rival and the frontrunner.

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