1st Ld Writethru: Survey shows French voters favor Macron over Fillon for president

Majority of French voters said ex-economy minister Emmanuel Macron would be a better candidate than the conservative Francois Fillon for the Elysee Palace in 2017, a poll released on Friday showed.

In an Odoxa survey for France Info Radio, 55 percent of 1,015 respondents preferred the reformist candidate against 39 percent who said Fillon would make a better president.

Among National Front voters, 56 percent preferred Macron while 37 percent chose Fillon.

However, several other polls indicate Macron is unlikely to qualify for the French presidential runoff vote in May. Here, Fillon is slated to win the contest against the National Front's Marine Le Pen.

Macron has portrayed himself as a candidate for jobs, proposing a progressive platform which "will pull France into the 21st century."

The ex-investment banker promised to further reduce France's high employment and increase workers' minimum wages by 500 euros (521.75 U.S. dollars) per year by cutting taxes on wages.

He claims he wants to raise taxes on consumption and wealthy pensioners.

Macron joined the Socialist government in August 2014 to replace ousted economy minister Arnaud Montebourg.

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. Endit