Meet Cedric Villani, a flamboyant mathematician,

who has emerged as the unlikely challenger

to France's ruling party, La Republique En Marche.

Villani is running against his own party

in a fratricide battle to become mayor of Paris.

He wants to wrestle it from the socialists, who

have held the key posts for almost 20 years.

Villani became one of Emmanuel Macron's first and seemingly

harmless supporters when the movement

was created three years ago.

He served for two years as an MP and advised the government

on artificial intelligence.

Now the quirky scientist and his team

are on a journey to change his image

and use his skills towards a new political goal.

A month into his official campaign, Villani

is already hitting 15 per cent in the polls,

just behind the socialist incumbent,

Anne Hidalgo and En Marches' Benjamin Griveaux.

Villani believes he is the true keeper of En Marche's

grassroots values, but critics say

that he risks dividing the En Marche vote.

But however warm the welcome might be,

Villani has yet to prove that he can put together

a realistic plan for Paris.

Villani wants us to think that we're

seeing Emmanuel Macron's presidential campaign

all over again.

Whether he can pull it off and win over the capital

is yet to be demonstrated.