Pressure mounts on France's Fillon as party heavyweights look to Juppe

[webfact]

Pressure mounts on France's Fillon as party heavyweights look to Juppe

By John Irish and Simon Carraud

REUTERS

 

Francois Fillon, former French Prime Minister, member of the Republicans political party and 2017 presidential election candidate of the French centre-right delivers a speech at a campaign rally in Aubervilliers, Paris suburb, March 4, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

 

PARIS (Reuters) - A senior politician from embattled French presidential candidate Francois Fillon's conservative camp said on Sunday that several party heavyweights were about to issue a statement calling for former prime minister Alain Juppe to replace him.

 

Once the frontrunner, Fillon is mired in a scandal over his wife's pay, and his campaign has been in serious trouble since he learned last week that he could be placed under formal investigation for misuse of public funds.

 

He is under growing pressure as party leaders prepare a crisis meeting for Monday to discuss the situation ahead of a March 17 deadline when all presidential candidates must be formally endorsed by at least 500 elected officials.

 

After a string of resignations among advisers and backers, the 63-year old former conservative prime minister is banking on a rally of supporters in Paris on Sunday to show his detractors that he remains their best hope to win the presidency.

 

"In the coming hours, we will propose an initiative," Christian Estrosi, a close ally of former President Nicolas Sarkozy, told BFM TV, adding that it would be before Monday morning.

 

"We do not have the time to debate who has the most talent. I don't think any of the forty-somethings in our political movement, who have talent, can take on the role to bring us together."

 

He said the initiative would come in the form of a statement led by himself and other heavyweights in the Republicans party including Xavier Bertrand and Valerie Pecresse.

 

"The easiest thing obviously ... is the person who came second in the primaries and that quite simply is Alain Juppe," he said.

 

Fillon, who was set to attend a rally of thousands of supporters in central Paris, announced on Twitter that he would appear on France 2 television's Sunday evening news.

 

A member of his staff said he wanted to "speak to the French."

 

Jean-Christophe Lagarde, the head of the centre-right UDI party, which has an alliance with the Republicans, warned on Europe 1 radio that sticking with Fillon would lead to "certain failure" and called for Juppe to step in.

 

"In the Olympics when the gold medal winner is disqualified then it's the silver medal holder that takes over," Lagarde said.

 

Opinion polls continue to show Fillon would fail to make the second round of the April/May election. Instead, centrist Emmanuel Macron is consolidating his position as favourite to win a second-round head-to-head against far-right National Front candidate Marine Le Pen.

 

Fillon has denied any wrongdoing and complained of judicial and media bias that amounted to a "political assassination".

 

His attack on the judiciary in particular has caused unease within his ranks and Sunday's demonstration has worried some on the right that it will be hijacked by hardline conservative movements.

 

His backers are hoping to get at least 45,000 people at Sunday's rally to show he still carries favour among grassroots supporters. Despite the pressure mounting, Fillon remained defiant.

 

"We shall show the strength of popular will," he said in a post on Twitter ahead of the rally. "Hold firm! France deserves our courage!"

 

However, an Ifop poll of 1,002 people published on Saturday showed that more than 70 percent of French voters want him to drop out. Support from his camp has also fallen to 53 percent from 70 percent two weeks ago.

 

The same survey also suggested Juppe, who lost to Fillon in the November party primary, was the best placed to step in. A poll on Friday showed that Juppe would win the April 23 first round, although the current mayor of Bordeaux has until now ruled out a comeback.

 

(Additional reporting by Adrian Croft; Editing by Dominic Evans)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-06

[Ulic]

A good team player knows when to pull themselves out of the game.

Fillon is not a good team player.

[Calach]

Juppé, who has already been judged and condemned for far worse than what Fillon is suspected of.

 

Republican leaders are currently displaying the lowest of the possibly low in politic inconsistence, betrayal and cowardice. What a scum. It’s actually from them rather than from political opponents that come the harshest blows. Many seem to not have accepted their defeat during the primary.

 

Whatever Fillon may or may not have done, I refuse to be confiscated that choice by party maneuvers. It’s not the election of a party or a team. If Fillon were pushed to drop off, I’ll vote Macron instead of any other candidate from that party, and many others will vote Le Pen just to express their discontent.

 

Election is in 50 days, the closer it will get, the more it will become real in people minds, and the more they will place their vision of the country’s interests and who they deem the fittest to defend them before personal ethics matters. Right-wing voters will come back in line once they’ll have studied the alternatives more closely, they’ll just vote with less enthusiasm. So Fillon is damn right to hold against the pressure.

[Prbkk]

It simply defies belief that France is going to end up with a choice between the loony far-right and a de facto servant of the left. If ever there were a time to expect a centre-right victory, surely this would be it. Unbelievable.

[Aforek]

1 hour ago, Calach said:

... and many others will vote Le Pen just to express their discontent.

 

 

 

 

for the first round they can vote what they want to express their discontent, but if they vote on the secound round for Le Pen just to express their discontent again , there will be dramatic consequences for France and Europe : there is not a third round

[Grouse]

1 hour ago, Calach said:

Juppé, who has already been judged and condemned for far worse than what Fillon is suspected of.

 

 

 

Republican leaders are currently displaying the lowest of the possibly low in politic inconsistence, betrayal and cowardice. What a scum. It’s actually from them rather than from political opponents that come the harshest blows. Many seem to not have accepted their defeat during the primary.

 

 

 

Whatever Fillon may or may not have done, I refuse to be confiscated that choice by party maneuvers. It’s not the election of a party or a team. If Fillon were pushed to drop off, I’ll vote Macron instead of any other candidate from that party, and many others will vote Le Pen just to express their discontent.

 

 

 

Election is in 50 days, the closer it will get, the more it will become real in people minds, and the more they will place their vision of the country’s interests and who they deem the fittest to defend them before personal ethics matters. Right-wing voters will come back in line once they’ll have studied the alternatives more closely, they’ll just vote with less enthusiasm. So Fillon is damn right to hold against the pressure.

 

Please educate me

 

What was Juppe accused of?

[Lannig]

Pretty much the same thing as Fillon is suspected of, possibly on a larger scale, in Paris' town hall. A few so-called employees who actually were working for the party and not for the Mayor then.

[Calach]

34 minutes ago, Grouse said:

Please educate me

 

What was Juppe accused of?

 

He was convicted for his involvement in a large scale fictitious jobs affair. 

[Calach]

1 hour ago, Aforek said:

for the first round they can vote what they want to express their discontent, but if they vote on the secound round for Le Pen just to express their discontent again , there will be dramatic consequences for France and Europe : there is not a third round

 

Well, frustration could make some a tad nihilist.

[Prbkk]

Turning to Juppe is really out of the frying pan and into the fire. The French are forgiving people but this would be asking too much. 10 year ban from public office and he is going to become the candidate? Scraping the bottom of the barrel with that choice. Fillon is being tried by the media ( not that he is helping his own cause).

[Grouse]

58 minutes ago, Calach said:

 

He was convicted for his involvement in a large scale fictitious jobs affair. 

Thank you; I didn't know that