Far-left Melenchon emerges as third competitor in French election poll

FILE PHOTO: Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of far-left opposition La France Insoumise (France Unbowed - LFI) political party and candidate for the 2022 French presidential election, attends the annual conference about poor housing conditions in France, organised by Fondation Abbe Pierre, in Paris, France, February 2, 2022. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo

PARIS (Reuters) - French leftist firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon inched closer to a place in the crucial runoff of the French presidential election in a poll on Wednesday, appearing to gain momentum just as far-right rivals are hit by their pro-Russian views.

Melenchon, a 70-year old former Socialist minister, moved to third place in an Elabe poll of voting intentions for the first round for BFM Television, jumping above far-right contender Eric Zemmour, who has been in free fall since the invasion of Ukraine.