French right-wing leader shuns both presidential candidates

Ms Le Pen, who came in a strong third place in the first round of voting on April 22, told her supporters at a rally in Paris to “vote according to your conscience”.

She attacked conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has borrowed some of her rhetoric about immigrants and Muslims in his campaign, accusing him of impoverishing the French and giving up too much sovereignty to the European Union.

Ms Le Pen threw cold water on Mr Sarkozy’s attempts to woo her voters. “I will cast a blank ballot,” she said. “Each one of you will make your choice.”

She insist she could not endorse Mr Sarkozy or Socialist challenger Francois Hollande.

Polls favour Mr Hollande. Observers say Ms Le Pen is distancing herself from Mr Sarkozy in the hope of becoming the face of the French opposition to a Socialist leadership. Ms Le Pen urged her supporters to focus on forthcoming parliamentary elections, where she hopes her National Front party will win a presence in the National Assembly for the first time since 1986.

Mr Sarkozy is expected to reach out to the far Right. In a radio interview, he said France has too many immigrants, and went on: “Our system of integration doesn’t work. Why? Because before we were able to integrate those who were received on our territory, others arrived. Having taken in too many people, we paralysed our system of integration.”