PARIS, March 7 (Xinhua) -- About three quarters of French people do not trust Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Front (FN) party, to lead the eurozone's second main power, and reject the nationalism and populism she advocates, a poll showed Wednesday.
A Kantar-Sofres-Onepoint poll released for LCP, Le Monde, and France info found that 73 percent of respondents said Le Pen would make bad head of state, with more than half believing she would not be able to unite her divided camp.
Asked if they supported FN ideas, 70 percent of those interviewed said they disagreed with the party's anti-immigration and anti-Europe approach.
The poll results deliver a fresh blow to Le Pen who is struggling to inject new life into her party after its bitter defeat in the most recent presidential election a little under a year ago.
On March 10 and 11, the 49-year-old lawyer will hold the party congress in Lille, northern France where she will shed more light on her pledges of "renewal" and "major radical reforms" in a move to lure back supporters and shift away from the unpopular anti-Europe stance.
In a further sign of the far-right leader's effort to overhaul the weakened party, Le Pen will unveil a new name for the FN, which has been associated with anti-Semitism and homophobia image.
"In France, there is a habit of announcing our death as soon as we're somewhat weakened. But each time they buried us, we came back stronger," Le Pen was quoted as saying by local media.
"The name change will mark the end of a chapter and the start of a new one, that of a party suited to being in power and striking alliances," she added.
Le Pen brought the anti-establishment FN party into the country's political mainstream during France's presidential election in April and May 2017.
She lost the race against centrist Emmanuel Macron with 33.9 percent of the vote, or more than 11 million voters, a record score that mirrored growing public support for the anti-immigrant party hostile to Europe.
However, her disappointing TV debate before the presidential race on May last year and fewer-than-expected elected lawmakers offset her stunning record.
Besides, Le Pen was dogged by internal rifts triggered by a public row between the party's senior officials.
In 2011, Le Pen succeeded her father Jean-Marie Le Pen to head the National Front party he created in 1972. Since then, she has been working to soften the party's image by seeking support among the young public and workers.
