PARIS, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- French independent centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron is forecast to win the race to the Elysee Palace, beating with a large lead his rival Marine Le Pen, a survey showed on Wednesday.
An opinionway poll for Les Echos newspaper and Radio Classique showed that in the first round of voting scheduled for April 23, the former economy minister would win 22 percent of the vote, behind the National Front leader's score of 25 percent.
Under fire over his wife's fake job, embattled conservative contender Francois Fillon is projected to win 20 percent of the vote.
In May's decisive second round of elections, Macron would beat Le Pen 66 percent to 34 percent, the poll's figures showed.
The ex-investment banker promised to further reduce France's high employment charges and increase workers' minimum wages by 500 euros (533 U.S. dollars) per year by cutting taxes on wages. He also wants to raise taxes on consumption and wealthy pensioners.
Macron promised to boost the defense budget, hire 10,000 police officers and raise funding for schools.
"We can no longer defend a political system whose practices weaken democracy," he told the 15,000-crowd at the weekend in east-central town of Lyon.
The pro-business youngest contender joined the Socialist government in August 2014 to replace ousted economy minister Arnaud Montebourg. Two years later, he quit his post to focus on his political career.
Macron, an advisor to current President Francois Hollande during his election campaign and later became his economy minister, was one of main figures that forged the law on growth and activity and responsibility pact, flagship pieces of the government's roadmap to revive sluggish growth and lower unemployment in France.
He has never had an elected post. He disclosed his political ambition after creating his own political movement "En Marche" (On the Move) in April last year, vowing to lead the movement "to 2017 and to victory."
