French see far-left's Melenchon as Macron's strongest opponent - poll

Member of parliament Jean-Luc Melenchon of La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) political party attends the traditional Bastille Day military parade on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, France, July 14, 2017. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo

PARIS (Reuters) - French voters view far leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon as the strongest opponent of President Emmanuel Macron, according to a new poll on Tuesday that highlights the weakness of mainstream opposition.

The Ifop-Fiducial poll showed Macron's popularity has dropped sharply since he took power in May but its key finding could help him as he embarks on reforms because polls show voters see Melenchon as too extreme to be a serious candidate for power.