Fillon wins race to be rightwing presidential candidate
From the very first set of official results released at around 7.30pm GMT, François Fillon held a commanding lead in the rightwing primary - and he never showed the slightest sign of relinquishing it. About half an hour after those first results came out, Alain Juppé conceded, congratulating his rival on his victory.
With more than 95% of the polling stations having returned their results, Fillon holds 66.6% of the vote.
Congratulations were forthcoming from other members of France’s right wing as Fillon sought to unify his potential support to take on the left and the far-right alike. He said he wanted to change the country’s “software” during his campaign for the presidency.
Fillon is seen as a Thatcherite who has promised to shrink the French state. It is expected his campaign will focus on raising the retirement age to 65 and ending early pension rights for many in the state sector.
He is seen as socially conservative who voted against gay marriage when it was introduced by the Socialist president François Hollande and who has said he wants to amend the 2013 law to partly repeal gay adoption rights.
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François Fillon, the socially conservative former prime minister who plans to shrink the French state, has won the primary race to become the French right’s presidential candidate next spring.
Fillon, 62, gained support in the final days of the primary race after writing a book on the dangers of “Islamic totalitarianism” in the wake of recent terrorist attacks in France and defending a tough line on French national identity. He beat the more moderate centrist, Alain Juppé, the 71-year-old mayor of Bordeaux.
After more than 90% of polling stations had reported their results Fillon was on 66.8% and his opponent, Juppé on 33.2%.
With almost 90% of the polling stations now having reported, François Fillon is on 67% and Alain Juppé 33% of the vote.
The former French prime minister François Fillon pledged to unite his camp behind a project to carry out deep reforms in France in a victory speech after winning the conservative ticket for next year’s presidential election.
“I will take up an unusual challenge for France: tell the truth and completely change its software,” he said.
Marine Le Pen's far-right Front National already warning Fillon he can't steal the working-class from them https://t.co/LXifxsu27x
— Angelique Chrisafis (@achrisafis) November 27, 2016
What does #Fillon's victory mean for the far-right Front National's Marine Le Pen? Analysis: https://t.co/aWKcjy2G2U
— Angelique Chrisafis (@achrisafis) November 27, 2016
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#Fillon loves Thatcher but, although he breaks with statist tradition of French right, not exactly Maggie - no privatisation, still spending
— Angelique Chrisafis (@achrisafis) November 27, 2016
Juppé concedes to Fillon
With more than 80% of the polling stations now having reported, François Fillon still holds a commanding lead, with 67.3% of the vote. His opponent Alain Juppé has conceded defeat.
Juppé told his supporters he would support Fillon at next year’s presidential election and asked them to stay strong and continue to fight for what they believe in.
Fillon, addressing his own supporters, said he needed the backing of the whole of the right wing and vowed to defeat the left and the far-right.
Retrouvez ma déclaration suite à la victoire de @FrancoisFillon. pic.twitter.com/u2Uhx7e3SM
— Nicolas Sarkozy (@NicolasSarkozy) November 27, 2016
The former president Nicolas Sarkozy writes:
I extend my sincere congratulations to François Fillon for his victory tonight and wish him luck in the political battle that awaits him.
I also have warm words for Alain Juppé, who has stood up for his beliefs and his ideas throughout this campaign.
The time has come for our political family to henceforth gather around François Fillon to guarantee the change France needs more than ever in 2017.
Fillon places his hand over his heart and salutes his supporters, who are chanting “Fillon président”. He exits the stage as they start to sing la Marseillaise.
#Fillon: Hollande's presidency was "pathetic" - we now have to overhaul the country in a way that hasn't been done for 30 years
— Angelique Chrisafis (@achrisafis) November 27, 2016
Fillon vows to beat the left, as well as the far-right at next year’s presidential election.
Fillon stresses that tonight’s result marks an opportunity for France to reassert itself as a sovereign nation atop the world and he promises to fight extremists who have declared war on the country.
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Fillon says France needs qualities such as respect and pride. He says he will defend French values, adding that no one should feel excluded in French society and that he wants French children to be proud of their nationality.
Fillon has warm words for Nicolas Sarkozy and Alain Juppé, saying he needs everyone’s help for the work he now has to carry out. He offers his hand to “anyone who wants to serve” France.
François Fillon addresses supporters, telling them that France will not stand for becoming fractured and wants to see action.
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Juppé says he has given about 40 years of his life to France and has had some good times and some pain in the future. He wishes the nation good luck, before exiting to chants “thank you Alain” from his supporters.
Earlier in his speech, he admitted that the results had not been as strong as he had hoped.
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Juppé asks his supporters - particularly the younger people - to remain on the road they have walked together; to be strong and to help “rebuild the French economy”.
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Alain Juppé is addressing supporters, congratulating his opponent François Fillon and offering him his support for next year’s presidential election.
#Juppé, after losing the battle for the soul of the French right, says he's a "free man" who never "compromised" on his beliefs
— Angelique Chrisafis (@achrisafis) November 27, 2016
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#Fillon said during campaign that France was more right-wing than it had ever been, felt he had won "ideological battle" to represent that
— Angelique Chrisafis (@achrisafis) November 27, 2016
François Fillon, the socially conservative former prime minister who plans to shrink the French state, appears on course to win the primary race to become the French right’s presidential candidate next spring.
Fillon, 62, gained support in the final days of the primary race after writing a book on the dangers of “Islamic totalitarianism” in the wake of recent terrorist attacks in France and defending a tough line on French national identity. He beat the more moderate centrist, Alain Juppé, the 71-year-old mayor of Bordeaux.
#Fillon marks a new ideology on the right. A victory for a hard right, unashamed, socially conservative, commited to shrinking the state
— Angelique Chrisafis (@achrisafis) November 27, 2016
Fillon holds commanding lead
The count has now passed the halfway point and there is little significant change to Fillon’s lead. He has 68.4% of the vote to Juppé’s 31.6%.
Jean-François Copé, who was last in the first round of voting and subsequently pledged his support to Alain Juppé, has indicated he believes François Fillon will win the candidacy.
“Now, the decision has been made, it is incontrovertible. It’s a magnificent victory for François Fillon,” he reportedly told the TV station France 2.
The latest official results have Fillon on 68.5% of the vote, with 4,714 of the 10,229 polling stations having reported.
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An update from the election organisers shows that, with 3,565 of the 10,229 polling stations having reported, François Fillon now has 68.7% of the vote and Alain Juppé 31.3%.
Fillon on course to win rightwing primary
Partial results show that the former French prime minister François Fillon holds a strong lead over Alain Juppé in the rightwing primary, with 69.5% of the vote.
The figures are based on results from 2,121 polling stations out of a total 10,228, the election’s organisers said.
Organisers of the Republicains party and its centre-right allies have warned ahead of the vote that partial results may not be representative of final results, with votes in rural areas being counted first.
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According to Libération journalist Rachid Laïreche, the mood at Alain Juppé’s campaign headquarters is downbeat:
Au QG d'@alainjuppe, le suspens n'existe plus : les militants expliquent les causes de la défaite. #PrimaireDroite
— Laïreche Rachid (@RachidLaireche) November 27, 2016
Activists are explaining the causes of his defeat, the tweet says.
While the votes are counted, Angelique Chrisafis has some recommended reading. Firstly, her piece from earlier this week on the Fillon phenomenon. Secondly, this one from September on Alain Juppé.
Polling stations have closed in the second round of the French right’s primary race to choose its presidential candidate. By 5pm, turnout was up on last week’s first round.
François Fillon, the socially conservative former prime minister who plans to radically shrink the French state, is the favourite to win the nomination ahead of Alain Juppé, the more moderate, centrist 71-year-old mayor of Bordeaux.
Uncertainty remains on the number of leftwing voters who might have taken part in today’s vote and the participation of former voters for the ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy, who was knocked out in the first round.
France’s two-round presidential election in April and May is being watched as the next possible shakeup of the political system after Donald Trump won the US presidency this month.
Polls in France have consistently shown that the far-right Front National leader Marine Le Pen, will make it to the final round run-off, but that it would be difficult for her to win. Whoever wins the right’s nomination will become favourite to face Le Pen in May and favourite to win the presidency.
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