Fillon takes early lead in French rightwing primary

Francois Fillon (R), French member of Parliament and candidate for the right-wing primarie
AFP

Paris (AFP) – Francois Fillon, a conservative reformist promising to slash the French state, took a strong lead in the race to become the rightwing candidate in next year’s presidential election, partial results showed Sunday.

Ex-prime minister Fillon won 68.7 percent of early votes counted in the US-style primary to pick the nominee of the Republicans party, who will become a favourite to be France’s next leader.

His opponent Alain Juppe — also a former prime minister — was trailing badly in the figures from 3,565 out of 10,229 polling stations, in line with surveys which had forecast a large victory for Fillon. Juppe was on 31.3 percent.

The French presidential vote is seen as a key test for mainstream political parties after the success of Donald Trump and the Brexit campaign in Britain, both of which harnessed anti-elite anger.

The winner will face fierce competition in the election in April and May from far-right leader Marine Le Pen, the anti-establishment candidate hoping to emulate Trump’s shock victory in the US.

Turnout in the primary was expected to be beat the four million people who took part in a first round of voting a week ago when Fillon, 62, came from behind to lead a field of seven candidates.

“I’m waiting for the verdict of the voters, it’s they who are speaking,” Fillon said earlier Sunday shortly after he cast his ballot in Paris.

The prime minister from 2007-12 has warned that France is “on the verge of revolt” and believes his plan to slash 500,000 public sector jobs and increase working hours is the tonic needed to kickstart the economy.

The devout Catholic has also taken a hard line on immigration and Islam in France, telling newcomers to the country last week that “when you enter someone else’s house you do not take over.”

– ‘Brutal’ candidate? –

Voting in the northwest of Paris, Christophe Mordelet, a 45-year-old human resources manager, said he chose Fillon because he showed “more authority” than Juppe, who has campaigned as a moderate unifier.

“You have to bang your fist on the table to get reforms through in this country. We have to stop giving into the power of the street,” he said.

Juppe, 71, made a clear pitch for the centre-ground, saying his opponent’s agenda was too “brutal” and he was better placed to keep the far-right out of power.

“I defended my ideas, I have no regrets,” Juppe said after voting in the southwestern city of Bordeaux, his political fiefdom for decades.

He has criticised Fillon during campaigning as a “yes man” for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who praised Fillon last week as “a great professional.” 

Fillon wants closer ties with the Kremlin and has called for the European Union to lift its sanctions on Moscow imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2014. 

– An uncertain race –

The Republicans candidate is widely tipped by pollsters to face Le Pen — and beat her — in a second round run-off in May next year.

But the race is seen as highly unpredictable after a year of political upsets and uncertainty about the impact of independents and the Socialist party candidate.

Socialist President Francois Hollande has yet to announce whether he will try to defy his historically low approval ratings by running for a second term.

After a troubled five years in power, a survey on Friday showed current Prime Minister Manuel Valls would be a far more popular candidate than Hollande.

Valls has not ruled out challenging his boss in a left-wing primary set for January, telling the weekly Journal du Dimanche he wanted to dispel the idea “that the left has no chance” of retaining power.

Hollande’s former protege and economy minister, 38-year-old Emmanuel Macron, is also set to stand for the presidency as a centrist independent.

Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon is also likely to draw votes away from mainstream parties in a trend seen in elections across Europe following years of austerity and anger over globalisation and job losses.

Like Fillon, Juppe had pledged to cut public sector jobs — but only half as many — saying  a more gradual response was needed in a country with still-powerful trade unions.

The head of the hardline CGT trade union, Philippe Martinez, told France Inter radio a “mobilisation will be on the cards” if either Fillon or Juppe tried to ram through reforms.

Some analysts believe that Fillon might have to moderate his programme and tack towards the centre-ground if he clinches the nomination as expected.

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