French polling watchdog warns over Russian news agency's election report

[Zorro]

Source: Reuters

France's polling commission has issued a warning over a Russian news report suggesting conservative candidate Francois Fillon leads the race for the presidency - something which contradicts the findings of mainstream opinion pollsters.

The cautionary note from the watchdog on pre-election polling followed allegations in February by aides of centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron that he was a target of "fake news" put out by Russian media including the Sputnik news agency.

Macron takes a hard line on European Union sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis, whereas Fillon has said they are totally ineffective, creating a "cold war" climate that needs to be reversed.

Almost all media in France are drawing on polls that have shown since mid-February that Fillon, a former prime minister, is trailing in third place behind Macron and far right leader Marine Le Pen for the April 23 first round. Third place would mean Fillon's elimination from the May 7 runoff.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-election-russia-idUSKBN1740JG

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. It is getting worse by the day, scarier. Russia has US, UK and now France?

[dalton99a]

2. Russia is now the biggest troublemaker in the world - and the most insidious.

[JHan]

3. we know how this story ends.. i hope the french don't fall for it like so many Americans did.

[dalton99a]

4. The French said no to W. - I doubt they'll fall for this Putin trick

They tend to be more skeptical/cynical/questioning than the average American