This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/06/world/europe/francois-fillon-france-election.html

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
François Fillon Refuses to Quit French Presidential Race, Despite Pressure François Fillon, Facing Calls to Quit French Race, Enjoys a Day of Gains
(about 3 hours later)
PARIS — Chaos continued on Monday to grip the campaign of François Fillon, the center-right candidate in France’s presidential election who has been embattled by corruption allegations but has refused to drop out despite increasing pressure from his party. PARIS — Monday was a day of reprieves for François Fillon, the embattled center-right candidate for president of France, who has been grappling with allegations of corruption and calls for him to drop out of the race.
Some of that pressure was lifted when Alain Juppé, one of Mr. Fillon’s rivals in the primaries, announced on Monday that he had decided “once and for all” not to run, ending speculation that he might step in to replace or challenge Mr. Fillon. First came the end of a threat that Alain Juppé, a prominent rival, would challenge or even replace him as the standard-bearer of the center-right. Mr. Juppé announced in the morning that he had decided “once and for all” not to run.
But as Mr. Fillon’s Republican Party prepared for a meeting Monday evening at its headquarters in Paris, some officials appeared to be making a last-ditch effort to persuade him to step aside. There are less than 50 days to go before the first round of voting, on April 23. A second threat, that the Republican Party would publicly disavow Mr. Fillon, was averted later in the day. Top party officials emerged from a meeting in Paris to say that they had agreed unanimously to keep on supporting him.
“No one can stop me from being a candidate,” Mr. Fillon said in an interview on the television channel France 2 on Sunday evening. French news outlets reported that Mr. Fillon, who took part in the meeting, put his foot down, emphasizing that divisions within the party could not spread further.
Mr. Juppé, speaking on Monday to reporters from the southeastern city of Bordeaux, where he is the mayor, said that the presidential campaign had been dominated by “unprecedented” confusion. Even so, Mr. Fillon’s troubles are not over. With less than 50 days to go before the first round of voting on April 23, the rifts on the French right that have been exposed by the scandal surrounding Mr. Fillon and are unlikely to heal before the presidential and legislative elections.
Hundreds of Mr. Fillon’s former backers have distanced themselves from him, and some in his party continue to doubt that he can win now. But the developments on Monday seemed to bolster Mr. Fillon’s claims that there is no one suitable to replace him.
“No one can stop me from being a candidate,” Mr. Fillon said on Sunday in an interview on the television channel France 2.
Mr. Juppé, who is mayor of the southeastern city of Bordeaux, told reporters there on Monday that the presidential campaign had been dominated by “unprecedented” confusion.
“What a waste,” he said, accusing Mr. Fillon of squandering the center-right party’s chances of winning.“What a waste,” he said, accusing Mr. Fillon of squandering the center-right party’s chances of winning.
Mr. Juppé, a moderate who lost to Mr. Fillon’s harder line in the Republican primary in November, criticized Mr. Fillon for his “obstinacy” and said that Mr. Fillon’s defense against the allegations had amounted to denouncing “a so-called plot,” a strategy that Mr. Juppé called “a dead end.” Mr. Juppé, a moderate, ran in the Republican presidential primary in November but lost to Mr. Fillon, who campaigned on a harder line. He criticized Mr. Fillon on Monday for his “obstinacy,” and he called Mr. Fillon’s dismissive response to the corruption allegations against him “a dead end.”
However, Mr. Juppé acknowledged that French voters were hungry for new political faces, untainted by scandals. Mr. Juppé, a 71-year-old former prime minister who was convicted in a phony-jobs scheme at Paris City Hall, conceded that he did not quite fit the bill. But Mr. Juppé, 71, said that he was not the man to replace Mr. Fillon now. He said that French voters were hungry for new political faces untainted by scandals, and that he did not quite fit the bill. “It is too late for me,” he said.
“It is too late for me,” Mr. Juppé said. Mr. Fillon, who like Mr. Juppé is a former prime minister, won primaries on the right and center-right in November, led in the polls and appeared to be on track to reach the second round of voting, where he would have a good chance to defeat his likely opponent, Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Front.
Mr. Fillon, also a former prime minister, had once appeared to be on track become the next president, having won the primaries on the right and center-right in November. Marine Le Pen, the head of the far-right National Front, is expected to make it to the second round of the presidential election, with Mr. Fillon thought to be a strong candidate to defeat her in a head-to-head runoff. But Mr. Fillon’s campaign was upended by reports in the satirical and investigative newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné that his wife and two of his children were paid with taxpayer money to be parliamentary aides, posts that might not have involved much genuine work.
But Mr. Fillon’s campaign was upended by reports in the satirical and investigative newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné that his wife and two of his children were paid with taxpayer money to be parliamentary aides, for work that might not have been genuine. The reports prompted an investigation by financial prosecutors, and they deeply dented Mr. Fillon’s standing in the polls, dropping him to third place behind Ms. Le Pen and the independent candidate Emmanuel Macron, a former economy minister.
The reports prompted the opening of an investigation by financial prosecutors. Mr. Fillon, formerly the front-runner, quickly took a hit in the polls, dropping behind Ms. Le Pen and the independent candidate Emmanuel Macron, a former economy minister. Mr. Fillon said last week that judges investigating the embezzlement allegations had summoned him for questioning on March 15. But he defiantly vowed to continue running, even if, as expected, he is formally charged.
Mr. Fillon said last week that judges investigating the embezzlement allegations had summoned him for questioning on March 15. But he defiantly vowed to continue running, even if he is formally charged, as expected. That defiance turned what, until then, had been mostly uneasy grumbling into a cascade of defections, with more than 300 backers dropping their support for Mr. Fillon and calling for the Republican Party to find a new candidate. An allied party, the centrist Union of Democrats and Independents, also dropped its support for Mr. Fillon.
That turned what, until then, had been mostly uneasy grumbling into a cascade of defections, with more than 300 backers dropping their support for Mr. Fillon and calling for the center-right Republican Party to find a new candidate. One of the Republican Party’s allies, the centrist Union of Democrats and Independents, also dropped its support for Mr. Fillon. Nicolas Sarkozy, a former president who also lost to Mr. Fillon in the primaries, said in a statement Monday morning that he wanted to organize a meeting with Mr. Fillon and Mr. Juppé to find a “dignified and credible way out of a situation that can no longer last.”
Nicolas Sarkozy, a former president who also lost to Mr. Fillon in the primaries, said in a statement Monday morning that he wanted to organize a meeting with Mr. Fillon and Mr. Juppé to find a “dignified and credible way out of a situation that can no longer last.”
Now that Mr. Juppé has made his intentions clear, the latest person to be suggested by some observers as a potential replacement is François Baroin, a lawmaker and ally of Mr. Sarkozy’s.
So far, Mr. Fillon has dug in his heels. At a rally organized on Sunday in Paris, he lashed out at those calling for him to drop out.So far, Mr. Fillon has dug in his heels. At a rally organized on Sunday in Paris, he lashed out at those calling for him to drop out.
“They think I’m alone; they want me to be alone,” a combative Mr. Fillon told the crowd as he stepped on stage at the Trocadéro, across from the Eiffel Tower. “Am I alone?” he asked, as the crowd roared back. “They think I’m alone; they want me to be alone,” a combative Mr. Fillon told the crowd as he stepped on stage at the Trocadéro, across from the Eiffel Tower. “Am I alone?” he asked, and the crowd roared.
“If, by magic, the French had been able to witness what I’ve seen these last weeks, a wave of disgust would submerge them,” Mr. Fillon said, denouncing “those who desert the sinking ship.”“If, by magic, the French had been able to witness what I’ve seen these last weeks, a wave of disgust would submerge them,” Mr. Fillon said, denouncing “those who desert the sinking ship.”
Mr. Fillon has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the scandal. His wife, Penelope, spoke publicly on Sunday about the scandal for the first time since it broke, telling the newspaper Journal du Dimanche that she had carried out “very different tasks” for her husband as a parliamentary assistant, including writing memos and press reviews. Mr. Fillon has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the scandal. His wife, Penelope, spoke publicly on Sunday about the matter for the first time since it broke, telling the newspaper Journal du Dimanche that she had carried out “very different tasks” for her husband as a parliamentary assistant, including writing memos and press reviews.
Ms. Fillon also said she had urged her husband to continue his campaign, as did the thousands of supporters who stood under pouring rain Sunday afternoon in Paris, waving French flags and chanting for Mr. Fillon to “hold fast” because “France needs you.”Ms. Fillon also said she had urged her husband to continue his campaign, as did the thousands of supporters who stood under pouring rain Sunday afternoon in Paris, waving French flags and chanting for Mr. Fillon to “hold fast” because “France needs you.”
“It’s the union between the people and the future president”, Franck Patti, 53, a project manager for the City of Paris, said about the rally. “It’s the union between the people and the future president,” Franck Patti, 53, a project manager for the City of Paris, said about the rally.
A core faction within the Republican rank and file — Mr. Juppé said they had been “radicalized” — has stood by Mr. Fillon, dismissing the allegations against him as a news media-driven plot and warning that they could stay home on Election Day if he were to drop out. A core faction within the Republican rank and file has stood by Mr. Fillon, dismissing the allegations against him and warning that they could stay home on Election Day if he were to drop out.
“The Republicans must see that Fillon is their natural candidate,” Mr. Patti said.“The Republicans must see that Fillon is their natural candidate,” Mr. Patti said.