With 529 signatures, the president was ahead of his right-wing rival Valérie Pécresse (324 signatures) and socialist candidate Anne Hidalgo (266). On 66 days of the first ballot, far-right Marine Le Pen has only 35 sponsors and her competitor Eric Zemmour 58.
Other candidates have so far reached the mark of a hundred sponsors, including the communist Fabien Roussel (159) and Jean-Luc Mélenchon of the party La France Insoumise (100). Some have fewer signatures on the counter, such as the green candidate Yannick Jadot (80) and Christiane Taubira (8).
But the dice have not yet been cast: the candidates have until March 4 to collect signatures.