Delors favoured

PARIS (Reuter) - French voters narrowly favour the European Commission President, Jacques Delors, to succeed President Francois Mitterrand, according to an opinion poll to be published in the weekly magazine L'Express.

Mr Delors, a Socialist and former finance minister, would defeat either of the two main conservative hopefuls, Valery Giscard d'Estaing and Jacques Chirac, by the same 51-49 per cent margin.

The former prime minister, Michel Rocard, at present the Socialist Party's favourite presidential candidate, would lose to both, it said.

A presidential election is not due until 1995, but the news last month that Mr Mitterrand, 76, was suffering from cancer has fuelled speculation that he could retire early.