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| François Fillon, Facing Calls to Quit French Race, Enjoys a Day of Gains | François Fillon, Facing Calls to Quit French Race, Enjoys a Day of Gains |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| A second threat, that the Republicans 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. | |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. | 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. | “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. | 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, ran in the Republicans 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.” | |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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, 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. |
| 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, posts that might not have involved much genuine work. |
| 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 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. |
| 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, as expected, he is formally charged. |
| 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 Republicans to find a new candidate. An allied party, 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.” |
| 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, and the crowd roared. | “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 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. | 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 Republicans 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. |