Le Pen blames media as Macron jumps in French polls

Paris : French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Sunday accused the media of "campaigning hysterically" in favour of Emmanuel Macron, her centrist rival for the presidency, as polls showed him enjoying a jump in support.

Le Pen, speaking at a rally in the western city of Nantes, launched a series of attacks on the 39-year-old independent who has emerged as a frontrunner to become France's next leader.

She accused the ex-economy minister of wanting to create a "migrant motorway" between France and north Africa, adding that "financial interests and their intermediaries in the media" had clearly taken his side.

In an attack that recalled US President Donald Trump's confrontation with journalists, she added: "The media have chosen their candidate. They are campaigning hysterically for their darling.

"They take the moral high ground, pretend to only analyse the facts and then shout about the freedom of the press as soon as you criticise them," she said to cheers.

Two new polls published Sunday showed Le Pen still winning the first round of the election on April 23 with 27 percent, but Macron closing the gap on her with 25 percent.

In the run-off vote set for May 7, despite her belief that Trump's victory and Brexit point to a revival of nationalism and anti-elite movements like hers, Le Pen would lose by 20 points to Macron if it were held today, the polls suggested.

Analysts urge caution about making firm forecasts, however, after a series of political shocks in Western democracies in the last year and a string of surprises in French politics.