Pro-European Emmanuel Macron is set to face far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in France&#39;s presidential run-off, results showed Sunday, making him clear favourite to emerge as the country&#39;s youngest leader in its history.

Macron topped Sunday&#39;s first round with 23.7 percent of votes, slightly ahead of National Front (FN) leader Le Pen with 21.9 percent, according to near-final results from the interior ministry.

They will contest the run-off on May 7.

&quot;For months and again today I&#39;ve heard the doubts, the anger and the fears of the French people. Their desire for change too,&quot; 39-year-old Macron told thousands of cheering supporters in Paris.

He pledged to unite &quot;patriots&quot; behind his agenda to renew French politics and modernise the country against Le Pen and &quot;the threat of nationalists&quot;.

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The euro rose sharply against the dollar as fears of France pulling out of the single currency and European Union receded following the breakthrough of Macron, former economy minister under outgoing Socialist President Francois Hollande.&nbsp;

An ex-investment banker whose marriage to his former school teacher has fascinated France, Macron said the results were a clear rejection of traditional parties.

Neither candidate from the mainstream Republicans and Socialists made it through to the second round for the first time in six decades in a stunning shakeup of national politics.

&quot;The challenge is to break completely with the system which has been unable to find solutions to the problems of our country for more than 30 years,&quot; Macron said, already eyeing crucial parliamentary elections in June.

The outcome capped an extraordinary campaign in a deeply divided and demoralised France, which has been hit by a series of terror attacks since 2015 and remains stuck with low economic growth.&nbsp;

Le Pen hailed a &quot;historic vote&quot; in front of her supporters, adding: &quot;The first stage has been passed.&quot;

Macron, who had never before stood for election and only started his grassroots centrist movement 12 months ago, will go into the run-off as the clear frontrunner.

New polls released Sunday evening showed pro-business Macron easily beating Le Pen, who has hardened her anti-immigration and anti-Europe rhetoric over the last week.

The French vote was being closely watched as a bellwether for populist sentiment following the election of Donald Trump as US President and Britain&#39;s vote to leave the EU.

Throughout the campaign, Macron insisted France was &quot;contrarian&quot; -- ready to elect a pro-globalisation liberal at a time when rightwing nationalists are making gains around the world.

&quot;It&#39;s a victory for openness, social-mindedness,&quot; Macron supporter Marie-Helene Visconti, a 60-year-old artist, told AFP at his election party where the EU flag was waved alongside the French tricolore.

Le Pen follows father 
Le Pen follows in the footsteps of her father Jean-Marie, who made it through to the 2002 presidential run-off in what came as a political earthquake for France.

Le Pen Senior went on to suffer a stinging defeat when mainstream parties closed ranks to keep him out.

Though Le Pen came in behind Macron, there was joy at the FN&#39;s election party in Henin-Beaumont, a former coal mining town in northern France, with outbursts of the Marseillaise national anthem.

Le Pen said the second round would be a battle over France&#39;s future, with her vision of a France out of the EU and behind reinforced borders radically different from her opponent&#39;s.

&quot;The major issue of this election is runaway globalisation, which is putting our civilisation in danger,&quot; she told supporters.&nbsp;

&quot;Either we continue on the path of complete deregulation, with no borders and no protection... mass immigration and free movement of terrorists... or you choose France,&quot; she added.&nbsp;

Far-right expert Nonna Mayer at Sciences Po university said a Le Pen victory was not impossible, &quot;but it seems unlikely that she will carry the second round&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;If she wins, it will obviously be an anti-Europe, protectionist, exclusionist line that wins and which could have troubling consequences for Europe and France,&quot; she added.

Despite Macron&#39;s plans to &quot;relaunch the building of Europe&quot;, the combined scores of staunch eurosceptics Le Pen, far-left Jean-Luc Melenchon and nationalist Nicolas Dupont-Aignan add up to nearly 50 percent.&nbsp;

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker on Sunday congratulated Macron and wished him &quot;good luck&quot;.&nbsp;

Macron endorsements 
Macron also drew immediate support from his defeated rivals from the Socialists and Republicans.

Socialist Benoit Hamon, projected to win a humiliating six percent, said the left had suffered a &quot;historic drubbing&quot; but urged voters to keep out Le Pen who he said was &quot;an enemy of the republic&quot;.&nbsp;

Scandal-hit Republicans candidate Francois Fillon followed suit, saying: &quot;There is no other choice than voting against the far-right.&quot;

Fillon was seen as a favourite until January when his campaign was torpedoed by allegations that he gave his British-born wife a fictitious job as his parliamentary assistant.

He was on course Sunday to score 20 percent.

The former prime minister has accused Hollande of being behind a campaign to destabilise him and said in a concession speech the obstacles he had faced were &quot;too numerous, too cruel&quot;.

Support for Communist-backed Melenchon, meanwhile, had surged in recent weeks on the back of assured performances in two televised debates.

He was on course for around 19.2 percent of the vote, underlining the strength of anti-establishment sentiment.

High security

The vote took place under heavy security after Thursday&#39;s killing of a policeman on Paris&#39;s Champs-Elysees avenue claimed by the Islamic State group.

With France still under the state of emergency imposed after the Paris attacks of November 2015, around 50,000 police and 7,000 soldiers were deployed to guard voters.

Thursday&#39;s shooting was the latest in a bloody series of attacks that have cost more than 230 lives since 2015.

Nearly 47 million people were eligible to vote in the eurozone&#39;s second biggest economy and turnout was forecast to be high at around 80 percent. The results will be seen as a credit to French pollsters, who successfully forecast the results.

(AFP)

The centrist Macron topped Sunday's first round with 23.7% of votes, slightly ahead of the far-right Le Pen with 21.9%

Pro-European Emmanuel Macron is set to face far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in France's presidential run-off, results showed Sunday, making him clear favourite to emerge as the country's youngest leader in its history. Macron topped Sunday's first round with 23.7 percent of votes, slightly ahead of National Front (FN) leader Le Pen with 21.9 percent, according to near-final results from the interior ministry. They will contest the run-off on May 7. "For months and again today I've heard the doubts, the anger and the fears of the French people. Their desire for change too," 39-year-old Macron told thousands of cheering supporters in Paris. He pledged to unite "patriots" behind his agenda to renew French politics and modernise the country against Le Pen and "the threat of nationalists". Macron pledged to unite 'patriots' behind his agenda to renew French politics and modernise the country against Le Pen and 'the threat of nationalists' × The euro rose sharply against the dollar as fears of France pulling out of the single currency and European Union receded following the breakthrough of Macron, former economy minister under outgoing Socialist President Francois Hollande. An ex-investment banker whose marriage to his former school teacher has fascinated France, Macron said the results were a clear rejection of traditional parties. Neither candidate from the mainstream Republicans and Socialists made it through to the second round for the first time in six decades in a stunning shakeup of national politics. "The challenge is to break completely with the system which has been unable to find solutions to the problems of our country for more than 30 years," Macron said, already eyeing crucial parliamentary elections in June. The outcome capped an extraordinary campaign in a deeply divided and demoralised France, which has been hit by a series of terror attacks since 2015 and remains stuck with low economic growth. Le Pen hailed a "historic vote" in front of her supporters, adding: "The first stage has been passed." Macron, who had never before stood for election and only started his grassroots centrist movement 12 months ago, will go into the run-off as the clear frontrunner. New polls released Sunday evening showed pro-business Macron easily beating Le Pen, who has hardened her anti-immigration and anti-Europe rhetoric over the last week. The French vote was being closely watched as a bellwether for populist sentiment following the election of Donald Trump as US President and Britain's vote to leave the EU. Throughout the campaign, Macron insisted France was "contrarian" -- ready to elect a pro-globalisation liberal at a time when rightwing nationalists are making gains around the world. "It's a victory for openness, social-mindedness," Macron supporter Marie-Helene Visconti, a 60-year-old artist, told AFP at his election party where the EU flag was waved alongside the French tricolore. Le Pen follows father Le Pen follows in the footsteps of her father Jean-Marie, who made it through to the 2002 presidential run-off in what came as a political earthquake for France. Le Pen Senior went on to suffer a stinging defeat when mainstream parties closed ranks to keep him out. Though Le Pen came in behind Macron, there was joy at the FN's election party in Henin-Beaumont, a former coal mining town in northern France, with outbursts of the Marseillaise national anthem. Le Pen said the second round would be a battle over France's future, with her vision of a France out of the EU and behind reinforced borders radically different from her opponent's. "The major issue of this election is runaway globalisation, which is putting our civilisation in danger," she told supporters. "Either we continue on the path of complete deregulation, with no borders and no protection... mass immigration and free movement of terrorists... or you choose France," she added. Far-right expert Nonna Mayer at Sciences Po university said a Le Pen victory was not impossible, "but it seems unlikely that she will carry the second round". "If she wins, it will obviously be an anti-Europe, protectionist, exclusionist line that wins and which could have troubling consequences for Europe and France," she added. Despite Macron's plans to "relaunch the building of Europe", the combined scores of staunch eurosceptics Le Pen, far-left Jean-Luc Melenchon and nationalist Nicolas Dupont-Aignan add up to nearly 50 percent. European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker on Sunday congratulated Macron and wished him "good luck". Macron endorsements Macron also drew immediate support from his defeated rivals from the Socialists and Republicans. Socialist Benoit Hamon, projected to win a humiliating six percent, said the left had suffered a "historic drubbing" but urged voters to keep out Le Pen who he said was "an enemy of the republic". Scandal-hit Republicans candidate Francois Fillon followed suit, saying: "There is no other choice than voting against the far-right." Fillon was seen as a favourite until January when his campaign was torpedoed by allegations that he gave his British-born wife a fictitious job as his parliamentary assistant. He was on course Sunday to score 20 percent. The former prime minister has accused Hollande of being behind a campaign to destabilise him and said in a concession speech the obstacles he had faced were "too numerous, too cruel". Support for Communist-backed Melenchon, meanwhile, had surged in recent weeks on the back of assured performances in two televised debates. He was on course for around 19.2 percent of the vote, underlining the strength of anti-establishment sentiment. High security The vote took place under heavy security after Thursday's killing of a policeman on Paris's Champs-Elysees avenue claimed by the Islamic State group. With France still under the state of emergency imposed after the Paris attacks of November 2015, around 50,000 police and 7,000 soldiers were deployed to guard voters. Thursday's shooting was the latest in a bloody series of attacks that have cost more than 230 lives since 2015. Nearly 47 million people were eligible to vote in the eurozone's second biggest economy and turnout was forecast to be high at around 80 percent. The results will be seen as a credit to French pollsters, who successfully forecast the results. (AFP)

French election: Macron, Le Pen to contest May 7 run-off

Two of the outside contenders in France&#39;s presidential election, Francois Fillon and Jean-Luc Melenchon, whipped up support with mass rallies on Sunday, seeking a last-gasp boost ahead of an increasingly tight first voting round.

For weeks, polls have shown centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen on track to top the first round of voting on April 23 and go through to a May 7 runoff.

But recent polls have shown the race tightening as the front-runners faltered and far-left maverick Melenchon surged after strong performances in two televised candidates&#39; debates.

A Kantar Sofres poll for media organisations Le Figaro, LCI and RTL showed Macron and Le Pen tied on 24 per cent in the first round, with Melenchon taking third place for the first time on 18 per cent, up six points since mid-March.

That put him a point ahead of conservative candidate Fillon, whose campaign has struggled as he seeks to defend himself from nepotism allegations.

Speaking at a big rally in the southern port city of Marseille, veteran Communist-backed candidate Melenchon sounded full of confidence.

&quot;We can hear it. We can feel it. Victory is within our reach,&quot; said Melenchon, who aims to take France out of NATO and also hold a referendum on EU membership.

Organisers said 70,000 people gathered in Marseille&#39;s Old Port district to hear Melenchon.

Fillon too is still hoping for an upset.

&quot;There is still everything to play for. The days ahead of us will be decisive,&quot; Fillon told cheering supporters waving the blue, white and red national flag at a show of strength in Paris, which according to organisers drew over 20,000 people.

There were no independent estimates of the crowd sizes.

Fillon, 63, was an early frontrunner to win the election but his bid faltered following allegations that he had paid his wife and two of his five children hundreds of thousands of euros of public money for minimal work. He denies any wrongdoing.

&quot;I&#39;m not asking you to like me. I&#39;m asking you to back me, because this is about what&#39;s best for France,&quot; Fillon said.

With one in three French voters still undecided, there is a chance of a first-round surprise.

Even some of Fillon&#39;s supporters admit the campaign has been nerve-racking, though many at the Paris meeting said they didn&#39;t trust the polls.

&quot;There were moments when we were really worried,&quot; said Raymond Spreder, 72, a retired builder from the Vosges region who has travelled to several rallies with his wife.

&quot;But he&#39;s done well considering everything that&#39;s been thrown at him. He&#39;s the most solid candidate, it&#39;s his policies that we like,&quot; he said.

Melenchon, a former Trotskyist, was a wildcard until his spirited performances in two televised debates strengthened his campaign and helped him leech support from the Socialist candidate, Benoit Hamon.

In the 2012 presidential election, Melenchon&#39;s insurgent campaign and firebrand style also drew crowds and favourable opinion in polls, but he fell short in the end with 11 per cent of the vote.

Macron, a pro-European former economy minister, aims to transcend the traditional left-right divide in French politics and reduce public spending and taxes.

If he reaches the second round, all polls predict he would easily beat Le Pen, whose plans to ditch the euro and hold a referendum on EU membership have spooked many investors.

(Reuters)

'We can hear it. We can feel it. Victory is within our reach,' said Melenchon, who aims to remove France from NATO and hold an EU referendum

Two of the outside contenders in France's presidential election, Francois Fillon and Jean-Luc Melenchon, whipped up support with mass rallies on Sunday, seeking a last-gasp boost ahead of an increasingly tight first voting round. For weeks, polls have shown centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen on track to top the first round of voting on April 23 and go through to a May 7 runoff. But recent polls have shown the race tightening as the front-runners faltered and far-left maverick Melenchon surged after strong performances in two televised candidates' debates. A Kantar Sofres poll for media organisations Le Figaro, LCI and RTL showed Macron and Le Pen tied on 24 per cent in the first round, with Melenchon taking third place for the first time on 18 per cent, up six points since mid-March. That put him a point ahead of conservative candidate Fillon, whose campaign has struggled as he seeks to defend himself from nepotism allegations. Speaking at a big rally in the southern port city of Marseille, veteran Communist-backed candidate Melenchon sounded full of confidence. "We can hear it. We can feel it. Victory is within our reach," said Melenchon, who aims to take France out of NATO and also hold a referendum on EU membership. Organisers said 70,000 people gathered in Marseille's Old Port district to hear Melenchon. Fillon too is still hoping for an upset. "There is still everything to play for. The days ahead of us will be decisive," Fillon told cheering supporters waving the blue, white and red national flag at a show of strength in Paris, which according to organisers drew over 20,000 people. There were no independent estimates of the crowd sizes. Fillon, 63, was an early frontrunner to win the election but his bid faltered following allegations that he had paid his wife and two of his five children hundreds of thousands of euros of public money for minimal work. He denies any wrongdoing. "I'm not asking you to like me. I'm asking you to back me, because this is about what's best for France," Fillon said. With one in three French voters still undecided, there is a chance of a first-round surprise. Even some of Fillon's supporters admit the campaign has been nerve-racking, though many at the Paris meeting said they didn't trust the polls. "There were moments when we were really worried," said Raymond Spreder, 72, a retired builder from the Vosges region who has travelled to several rallies with his wife. "But he's done well considering everything that's been thrown at him. He's the most solid candidate, it's his policies that we like," he said. Melenchon, a former Trotskyist, was a wildcard until his spirited performances in two televised debates strengthened his campaign and helped him leech support from the Socialist candidate, Benoit Hamon. In the 2012 presidential election, Melenchon's insurgent campaign and firebrand style also drew crowds and favourable opinion in polls, but he fell short in the end with 11 per cent of the vote. Macron, a pro-European former economy minister, aims to transcend the traditional left-right divide in French politics and reduce public spending and taxes. If he reaches the second round, all polls predict he would easily beat Le Pen, whose plans to ditch the euro and hold a referendum on EU membership have spooked many investors. (Reuters)

Fillon, Melenchon seek last-gasp boost in French presidential election

Firebrand leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon was found the most convincing performer by French viewers of Tuesday night&#39;s televised debate among the 11 candidates running in this month&#39;s presidential election, a snap poll showed.

The poll by Elabe for BFM TV said Melenchon had managed to convince 25 per cent of those who had watched the four-hour long debate. Some 21 per cent found centrist Emmanuel Macron as the most convincing, the second best score.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen came in fourth behind conservative Francois Fillon, with 11 per cent and 15 per cent respectively.

However, Macron was seen in the same poll as having the best program of all the candidates by 23 per cent of viewers, followed by Melenchon with 22 per cent and Fillon with 18 per cent.

The two leading candidates, Macron and Le Pen, clashed sharply over Europe during the debate.

Voting in the first round of the election is set for April 23 with a runoff between the two leading candidates on May 7.

(Reuters)

Jean-Luc Melenchon managed to convince 25% of the viewers, followed by Macron, Fillon and Le Pen

Firebrand leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon was found the most convincing performer by French viewers of Tuesday night's televised debate among the 11 candidates running in this month's presidential election, a snap poll showed. The poll by Elabe for BFM TV said Melenchon had managed to convince 25 per cent of those who had watched the four-hour long debate. Some 21 per cent found centrist Emmanuel Macron as the most convincing, the second best score. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen came in fourth behind conservative Francois Fillon, with 11 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. However, Macron was seen in the same poll as having the best program of all the candidates by 23 per cent of viewers, followed by Melenchon with 22 per cent and Fillon with 18 per cent. The two leading candidates, Macron and Le Pen, clashed sharply over Europe during the debate. Voting in the first round of the election is set for April 23 with a runoff between the two leading candidates on May 7. (Reuters)

French election: Leftist Melenchon most convincing in live TV debate

France&#39;s rightwing presidential candidate Francois&nbsp;Fillon&nbsp;was charged Tuesday with several offences over a fake jobs scandal, including misuse of public funds, his lawyer said.

&quot;He was charged this morning. The hearing was brought forward so that it could take place in a calm manner,&quot; lawyer Antonin Levy told AFP.

He was also charged with misuse of corporate assets, Levy said.

Fillon, 63, had been expected to go before investigating magistrates on Wednesday over the scandal, which has undermined his campaign for the presidency only six weeks from the first round of the election.

Following revelations in the Canard Enchaine newspaper at the end of January, the conservative candidate admitted to employing his wife Penelope and two of their children as parliamentary assistants, but has denied any wrongdoing.&nbsp;

Penelope was paid hundreds of thousands of euros (dollars) from public funds between 1986 and 2013, but she is accused of doing little work for the salary.&nbsp;

From May 2012 to December 2013, while employed at the parliament, Penelope was also paid 3,500 euros ($3,700) a month by a magazine owned by a friend of&nbsp;Fillon, the tycoon Marc Ladreit de Lacharriere.

After initially saying he would withdraw from the presidential race if charged,&nbsp;Fillon&nbsp;has vowed to continue, calling the investigation an attempted &quot;political assassination&quot;.&nbsp;

Defies calls to step aside&nbsp;

He has defied calls to step aside from colleagues in his Republicans party and has weathered a flurry of resignations from his campaign team, while the scandal has made an already unpredictable election even harder to call.&nbsp;

The disarray appears to have benefited centrist, pro-business candidate Emmanuel Macron in particular, as well as far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who are shown in opinion polls to be the likely top two candidates in the first round of voting on April 23.

Polls suggest 39-year-old Macron would beat Le Pen in the decisive second round on May 7 -- but after Donald Trump&#39;s victory in the United States and Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union, analysts caution against bold predictions.

Fillon, a devout Catholic, was the surprise winner of the Republicans&#39; primary in November after campaigning as a clean and honest candidate who would transform France with a &quot;radical&quot; economic programme.

He wants to cut public spending by 100 billion euros and cut 500,000 public sector jobs over the next five years.

He was the frontrunner in the presidential race before the scandal hit in late January, but is now shown in third place and eliminated in the first round.

(AFP)

French presidential candidate Francois Fillon has been accused of using state money to give jobs to his wife & children

France's rightwing presidential candidate Francois Fillon was charged Tuesday with several offences over a fake jobs scandal, including misuse of public funds, his lawyer said. "He was charged this morning. The hearing was brought forward so that it could take place in a calm manner," lawyer Antonin Levy told AFP. He was also charged with misuse of corporate assets, Levy said. Fillon, 63, had been expected to go before investigating magistrates on Wednesday over the scandal, which has undermined his campaign for the presidency only six weeks from the first round of the election. Following revelations in the Canard Enchaine newspaper at the end of January, the conservative candidate admitted to employing his wife Penelope and two of their children as parliamentary assistants, but has denied any wrongdoing. Penelope was paid hundreds of thousands of euros (dollars) from public funds between 1986 and 2013, but she is accused of doing little work for the salary. From May 2012 to December 2013, while employed at the parliament, Penelope was also paid 3,500 euros ($3,700) a month by a magazine owned by a friend of Fillon, the tycoon Marc Ladreit de Lacharriere. After initially saying he would withdraw from the presidential race if charged, Fillon has vowed to continue, calling the investigation an attempted "political assassination". Defies calls to step aside He has defied calls to step aside from colleagues in his Republicans party and has weathered a flurry of resignations from his campaign team, while the scandal has made an already unpredictable election even harder to call. The disarray appears to have benefited centrist, pro-business candidate Emmanuel Macron in particular, as well as far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who are shown in opinion polls to be the likely top two candidates in the first round of voting on April 23. Polls suggest 39-year-old Macron would beat Le Pen in the decisive second round on May 7 -- but after Donald Trump's victory in the United States and Britain's vote to leave the European Union, analysts caution against bold predictions. Fillon, a devout Catholic, was the surprise winner of the Republicans' primary in November after campaigning as a clean and honest candidate who would transform France with a "radical" economic programme. He wants to cut public spending by 100 billion euros and cut 500,000 public sector jobs over the next five years. He was the frontrunner in the presidential race before the scandal hit in late January, but is now shown in third place and eliminated in the first round. (AFP)

France's Fillon charged for misuse of public funds: Lawyer

Francois Fillon, favourite to win France&#39;s presidential election until he was hit by allegations of financial impropriety, sought on Monday to revive a faltering campaign, but found himself on the defensive again, this time over gifts of expensive suits.

The 63-year-old former prime minister, already hit by graver accusations that he paid his wife and children lavish amounts of public funds for little work, launched a media offensive to promote an economic programme based on drastic public spending cuts.

He has already slipped from first to third place in opinion polls, a ranking that would see him knocked out in round one of the ballot on April 23 in favour of far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron, current favourite in polls.&nbsp;

Fillon&#39;s latest offensive consisted of radio and newspaper interviews followed by a news conference where he detailed how he planned to slash public spending by 100 billion euros ($107 billion) over five years and cut 500,000 public sector jobs.&nbsp;

&quot;Over the first three months, I would launch the budget amendments that would include the most important fiscal measures of the term,&quot; Fillon said in an interview in Les Echos newspaper.

&quot;I will also put to a vote major social reforms, such as the abolition of the 35-hour working week&quot;.

Once again, however, Fillon&#39;s attempts to revive a flagging campaign were troubled by potentially damaging stories of high living that sit awkwardly with his claim at his party&#39;s primary last November to be beyond reproach ethically.&nbsp;

A newspaper at the weekend said he had received close to 50,000 euros worth of suits and clothing since 2012, gifts that, if not illegal, come on the back of more serious allegations of impropriety.

While seeking to refocus media coverage on policy and the details of his programme, Fillon faced yet more questions from journalists about his personal conduct.

&quot;I cannot see this as anything other than a manhunt,&quot; he told Europe 1 radio.&nbsp;

He has already accused the media and the justice system of bias and fought to keep fellow conservatives on his side after press allegations in January that he paid his wife Penelope and two of his children hundreds of thousands of euros of taxpayers&#39; money for small-time assistance work such as opening his mail.

He insists he did nothing illegal and that he is the victim of politically motivated reports designed to destroy his bid for power after five years of Socialist Francois Hollande.

Fillon did not deny the latest media report, published by the Journal du Dimanche newspaper on Sunday evening, but said the story of expensive suits was proof of a slur campaign.

Monday&#39;s media offensive comes two days before Fillon is to meet judicial magistrates investigating the money paid to his wife Penelope and children.

He has said himself the magistrates are likely to put him officially under investigation on counts of suspected impropriety but, contrary to what he initially announced, has said he will not drop out of the race if that happens.

(AFP)

A newspaper report said embattled Fillon has received close to 50,000 euros worth of suits and clothing since 2012

Francois Fillon, favourite to win France's presidential election until he was hit by allegations of financial impropriety, sought on Monday to revive a faltering campaign, but found himself on the defensive again, this time over gifts of expensive suits. The 63-year-old former prime minister, already hit by graver accusations that he paid his wife and children lavish amounts of public funds for little work, launched a media offensive to promote an economic programme based on drastic public spending cuts. He has already slipped from first to third place in opinion polls, a ranking that would see him knocked out in round one of the ballot on April 23 in favour of far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron, current favourite in polls. Fillon's latest offensive consisted of radio and newspaper interviews followed by a news conference where he detailed how he planned to slash public spending by 100 billion euros ($107 billion) over five years and cut 500,000 public sector jobs. "Over the first three months, I would launch the budget amendments that would include the most important fiscal measures of the term," Fillon said in an interview in Les Echos newspaper. "I will also put to a vote major social reforms, such as the abolition of the 35-hour working week". Once again, however, Fillon's attempts to revive a flagging campaign were troubled by potentially damaging stories of high living that sit awkwardly with his claim at his party's primary last November to be beyond reproach ethically. A newspaper at the weekend said he had received close to 50,000 euros worth of suits and clothing since 2012, gifts that, if not illegal, come on the back of more serious allegations of impropriety. While seeking to refocus media coverage on policy and the details of his programme, Fillon faced yet more questions from journalists about his personal conduct. "I cannot see this as anything other than a manhunt," he told Europe 1 radio. He has already accused the media and the justice system of bias and fought to keep fellow conservatives on his side after press allegations in January that he paid his wife Penelope and two of his children hundreds of thousands of euros of taxpayers' money for small-time assistance work such as opening his mail. He insists he did nothing illegal and that he is the victim of politically motivated reports designed to destroy his bid for power after five years of Socialist Francois Hollande. Fillon did not deny the latest media report, published by the Journal du Dimanche newspaper on Sunday evening, but said the story of expensive suits was proof of a slur campaign. Monday's media offensive comes two days before Fillon is to meet judicial magistrates investigating the money paid to his wife Penelope and children. He has said himself the magistrates are likely to put him officially under investigation on counts of suspected impropriety but, contrary to what he initially announced, has said he will not drop out of the race if that happens. (AFP)

Fillon's revived presidential bid stymied by luxury gifts claim

Beleaguered France&#39;s Republicans candidate Francois Fillon received a shot in the arm after his likely replacement ruled himself out, citing that the elections were merely weeks away for him to mobilise an election campaign.

Former prime minister Alain Juppe, who is popular with the voters, said Monday:&nbsp;&quot;I confirm for a final time that I will not be a candidate to be president of the republic.&quot;

Francois Fillon was once the favourite to be the next president but his campaign got embroiled in the ugly &quot;fake job&quot; scandal.

Fillon has been accused of paying thousands of euros to his British-born wife Penelope for performing a fake parliamentary job.

But Juppe&#39;s withdrawal from a potential presidential campaign has almost calcified Fillon&#39;s status as the Republicans torchbearer in the upcoming French runoffs.

Juppe&#39;s statement emboldened Fillon to ask his party to rally around him.

&quot;It is time for everybody to get their act together and come back to their senses,&quot; he told senior party members gathered to discuss the crisis, according to a text.

Fillon has been excoriated by his party members and some 250 insiders had called for his head as chances of even progressing to the second round of the presidential bid are bleak now.&nbsp;

Party leaders met for crisis talks on Monday evening, with allies of ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy still pushing&nbsp;Fillon&nbsp;to step aside and name a replacement.

&quot;He&#39;s got some breathing space but he needs to ask himself if he can still win the presidential election,&quot; one lawmaker known to be close to Sarkozy told AFP on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;

But later, the party said it would support Fillon&#39;s presidential campaign.

&quot;The political committee, after a wide-ranging exchange, unanimously renewed its support for Francois Fillon,&quot; Senate speaker Gerard Larcher told reporters after around 20 party seniors met to &quot;evaluate&quot; the crisis sparked by the fake jobs scandal clouding Fillon&#39;s campaign.

The disarray appears to have benefited centrist, pro-business candidate Emmanuel Macron in particular, as well as far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who are shown in polls to be the likely top two candidates in the first round of voting on April 23.

Polls suggest 39-year-old Macron would beat Le Pen in the decisive second round on May 7 -- but after Donald Trump&#39;s victory and Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union, analysts caution against bold predictions.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Alan Juppe, who was likely to replace scandal-hit Fillon, said contesting the election made no sense due to paucity of time

Beleaguered France's Republicans candidate Francois Fillon received a shot in the arm after his likely replacement ruled himself out, citing that the elections were merely weeks away for him to mobilise an election campaign. Former prime minister Alain Juppe, who is popular with the voters, said Monday: "I confirm for a final time that I will not be a candidate to be president of the republic." Francois Fillon was once the favourite to be the next president but his campaign got embroiled in the ugly "fake job" scandal. Fillon has been accused of paying thousands of euros to his British-born wife Penelope for performing a fake parliamentary job. But Juppe's withdrawal from a potential presidential campaign has almost calcified Fillon's status as the Republicans torchbearer in the upcoming French runoffs. Juppe's statement emboldened Fillon to ask his party to rally around him. "It is time for everybody to get their act together and come back to their senses," he told senior party members gathered to discuss the crisis, according to a text. Fillon has been excoriated by his party members and some 250 insiders had called for his head as chances of even progressing to the second round of the presidential bid are bleak now. Party leaders met for crisis talks on Monday evening, with allies of ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy still pushing Fillon to step aside and name a replacement. "He's got some breathing space but he needs to ask himself if he can still win the presidential election," one lawmaker known to be close to Sarkozy told AFP on condition of anonymity. But later, the party said it would support Fillon's presidential campaign. "The political committee, after a wide-ranging exchange, unanimously renewed its support for Francois Fillon," Senate speaker Gerard Larcher told reporters after around 20 party seniors met to "evaluate" the crisis sparked by the fake jobs scandal clouding Fillon's campaign. The disarray appears to have benefited centrist, pro-business candidate Emmanuel Macron in particular, as well as far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who are shown in polls to be the likely top two candidates in the first round of voting on April 23. Polls suggest 39-year-old Macron would beat Le Pen in the decisive second round on May 7 -- but after Donald Trump's victory and Britain's vote to leave the European Union, analysts caution against bold predictions. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Fillon's French presidential bid gets fillip after replacement rules himself out

Beleaguered French conservative candidate Francois Fillon struck a defiant note on Suday, insisting &quot;no one&quot; can stop him from running the upcoming presidential elections.

Fillon has faced intense criticism from within his party after allegations that he paid his wife thousands of euros for a fake parliamentary job.

About 250 party insiders have called for his head, suggesting he should step down as the party torchbearer due to the damage done to his reputation following the outbreak of the scandal.

&quot;No one today can prevent me being a candidate,&quot; Fillon said in a TV interview in which he again said a probe into allegations he gave his wife a highly-paid fake parliamentary job was politically motivated.

&quot;Of course it is aimed at stopping me being a candidate,&quot; Fillon said of the probe in which he is to be charged on March 15.

Asked if he would bow to calls from within his own Republicans party to withdraw, Fillon said: &quot;My answer is &#39;no&#39;.&quot;

Fillon was the frontrunner in the race until the fake jobs allegations were made in mid-January.

Besides Fillon stood his wife Penelope, the person in the eye of the storm.

He has since lost support and polls currently show he risks being knocked out in the first round on April 23 with far-right leader Marine Le Pen and 39-year-old centrist Emmanuel Macron progressing to the runoff two weeks later.

(WION with inputs fom AFP)

The conservative candidate has been accused of paying his wife thousands of euros to do a fake parliamentary job

Beleaguered French conservative candidate Francois Fillon struck a defiant note on Suday, insisting "no one" can stop him from running the upcoming presidential elections. Fillon has faced intense criticism from within his party after allegations that he paid his wife thousands of euros for a fake parliamentary job. About 250 party insiders have called for his head, suggesting he should step down as the party torchbearer due to the damage done to his reputation following the outbreak of the scandal. "No one today can prevent me being a candidate," Fillon said in a TV interview in which he again said a probe into allegations he gave his wife a highly-paid fake parliamentary job was politically motivated. "Of course it is aimed at stopping me being a candidate," Fillon said of the probe in which he is to be charged on March 15. Asked if he would bow to calls from within his own Republicans party to withdraw, Fillon said: "My answer is 'no'." Fillon was the frontrunner in the race until the fake jobs allegations were made in mid-January. Besides Fillon stood his wife Penelope, the person in the eye of the storm. He has since lost support and polls currently show he risks being knocked out in the first round on April 23 with far-right leader Marine Le Pen and 39-year-old centrist Emmanuel Macron progressing to the runoff two weeks later. (WION with inputs fom AFP)

French elections: Fillon vows to fight on in defiance rally

French presidential candidate Francois Fillon faced fresh setbacks to his beleaguered campaign on Friday as his spokesman stepped down and a small centrist party decided to withdraw its support.

Patrick Stefanini said his resignation will take effect from Sunday night.

Fillon is also feeling the heat from former prime minister Alain Juppe, who has announced he is ready to replace the scandal-hit presidential candidate in the upcoming runoffs.

The 71-year-old Juppe, also an ex-premier and a one-time foreign minister, was beaten by Fillon in the conservative primary in November after beginning the contest as a clear favourite.

Fillon&#39;s initial momentum evaporated after allegations of him paying his wife Penelope hundreds of thousands of euros for a fake job came out in public.

He has also been accused of helping his children while he was in the government.

Fillon, 63, said earlier this week that he would be charged over the damning allegations.

Juppe sets conditions&nbsp;

With the March 17 deadline for the collection of signatures necessary to launch a candidacy fast approaching, a member of Juppe&#39;s entourage told AFP he was prepared to take over -- under certain conditions.

Juppe &quot;will not refuse if all the conditions are met -- Francois Fillon has to take the decision to pull out himself and the rightwing and centre camps... have to be united behind him&quot;, the unnamed source said.

The leader of the centrist UDI party said it was definitively withdrawing its support for Fillon after it suspended its backing on Wednesday.

&quot;We ask the Republicans (Fillon&#39;s party) to change candidate and if they do not, we will not be able to continue our alliance,&quot; UDI leader Jean-Christophe Lagarde told Ouest France newspaper.

The resignation of Fillon&#39;s spokesman Thierry Solere meant he joined a list of defectors who include two deputy directors, the campaign treasurer and foreign affairs point man Bruno Le Maire.

Juppe to save conservatives?&nbsp;

One opinion poll Friday showed that Juppe -- who is viewed as more centrist than Fillon -- would go straight into the lead if he took over.

Juppe would have 26.5 percent of votes, giving him a narrow lead over Macron on 25 percent, while Le Pen would slip to third place on 24 percent, according to the Odoxa-Dentsu Consulting poll of 943 people.

Since his defeat in the primary, Juppe has stayed out of the fray and ventured rarely from the southwest city of Bordeaux where he is mayor.

He has made a political comeback after being given a suspended 14-month jail sentence in 2004 over a party funding scandal.

Fillon, whose Paris home was raided by police on Thursday, is going ahead with plans to hold a rally near the Eiffel Tower on Sunday.

In an online video message urging supporters to attend, he said only he could &quot;restore France&#39;s strength&quot;.

Fillon&#39;s headline policy is a pledge to slash half a million civil servants&#39; jobs to cut public spending.

Le Pen, campaigning on an anti-immigration and anti-EU platform, has for months been forecast to reach the second round of an election influenced by the same populist themes that propelled US President&nbsp;Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;to power and led to the Brexit vote in Britain.

Polls currently show however that Le Pen will be beaten in the decisive runoff on May 7 by either the fast-rising Macron or the conservative candidate.

The right&#39;s fear&nbsp;

The fear for the right is that Fillon will fail to reach the runoff.

Fillon has hit out at the justice system, claiming he was the victim of a &quot;political assassination&quot; over the fake jobs allegations that were first made by the Canard Enchaine newspaper.

Investigators are probing what work Fillon&#39;s wife Penelope actually performed for her pay. He insists she has &quot;always&quot; assisted him during his lengthy political career and has strongly denied any wrongdoing.

A source close to Juppe told Le Parisien newspaper on Friday that the veteran politician &quot;felt ill&quot; when he heard Fillon questioning the impartiality of judges.

Socialist President Francois Hollande also lashed out at Fillon this week, saying being a presidential candidate did not give him the right to &quot;cast suspicion on the work of the police and judges&quot;.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Fillon's spokesman quit and the leader of a small centrist party confirmed it was withdrawing its backing over an expenses scandal

French presidential candidate Francois Fillon faced fresh setbacks to his beleaguered campaign on Friday as his spokesman stepped down and a small centrist party decided to withdraw its support. Patrick Stefanini said his resignation will take effect from Sunday night. Fillon is also feeling the heat from former prime minister Alain Juppe, who has announced he is ready to replace the scandal-hit presidential candidate in the upcoming runoffs. The 71-year-old Juppe, also an ex-premier and a one-time foreign minister, was beaten by Fillon in the conservative primary in November after beginning the contest as a clear favourite. Fillon's initial momentum evaporated after allegations of him paying his wife Penelope hundreds of thousands of euros for a fake job came out in public. He has also been accused of helping his children while he was in the government. Fillon, 63, said earlier this week that he would be charged over the damning allegations. Juppe sets conditions With the March 17 deadline for the collection of signatures necessary to launch a candidacy fast approaching, a member of Juppe's entourage told AFP he was prepared to take over -- under certain conditions. Juppe "will not refuse if all the conditions are met -- Francois Fillon has to take the decision to pull out himself and the rightwing and centre camps... have to be united behind him", the unnamed source said. The leader of the centrist UDI party said it was definitively withdrawing its support for Fillon after it suspended its backing on Wednesday. "We ask the Republicans (Fillon's party) to change candidate and if they do not, we will not be able to continue our alliance," UDI leader Jean-Christophe Lagarde told Ouest France newspaper. The resignation of Fillon's spokesman Thierry Solere meant he joined a list of defectors who include two deputy directors, the campaign treasurer and foreign affairs point man Bruno Le Maire. Juppe to save conservatives? One opinion poll Friday showed that Juppe -- who is viewed as more centrist than Fillon -- would go straight into the lead if he took over. Juppe would have 26.5 percent of votes, giving him a narrow lead over Macron on 25 percent, while Le Pen would slip to third place on 24 percent, according to the Odoxa-Dentsu Consulting poll of 943 people. Since his defeat in the primary, Juppe has stayed out of the fray and ventured rarely from the southwest city of Bordeaux where he is mayor. He has made a political comeback after being given a suspended 14-month jail sentence in 2004 over a party funding scandal. Fillon, whose Paris home was raided by police on Thursday, is going ahead with plans to hold a rally near the Eiffel Tower on Sunday. In an online video message urging supporters to attend, he said only he could "restore France's strength". Fillon's headline policy is a pledge to slash half a million civil servants' jobs to cut public spending. Le Pen, campaigning on an anti-immigration and anti-EU platform, has for months been forecast to reach the second round of an election influenced by the same populist themes that propelled US President Donald Trump to power and led to the Brexit vote in Britain. Polls currently show however that Le Pen will be beaten in the decisive runoff on May 7 by either the fast-rising Macron or the conservative candidate. The right's fear The fear for the right is that Fillon will fail to reach the runoff. Fillon has hit out at the justice system, claiming he was the victim of a "political assassination" over the fake jobs allegations that were first made by the Canard Enchaine newspaper. Investigators are probing what work Fillon's wife Penelope actually performed for her pay. He insists she has "always" assisted him during his lengthy political career and has strongly denied any wrongdoing. A source close to Juppe told Le Parisien newspaper on Friday that the veteran politician "felt ill" when he heard Fillon questioning the impartiality of judges. Socialist President Francois Hollande also lashed out at Fillon this week, saying being a presidential candidate did not give him the right to "cast suspicion on the work of the police and judges". (WION with inputs from AFP)

French elections: Fillon suffers setback as Juppe remains on standby

Former president Nicolas Sarkozy has been knocked out of the French right-wing primary.

Sarkozy stood third in the primary, behind two former prime ministers Francois Fillon and Alain Juppe.

Sarkozy won just 23 per cent of the vote, four percentage points behind Juppe and 21&nbsp;behind Fillon.

&quot;I did not manage to convince the voters,&quot; Sarkozy said in a speech to supporters after he was beaten.

The top two candidates will contend in next Sunday&#39;s run-off.

The winner will take on Le Pen, as the governing socialist party has been roiled by infighting and incriminations.

Fillon, 62, enjoyed a late surge in voter intentions after Juppe, 71, enjoyed frontrunner status for two months, followed by 61-year-old Sarkozy.

After the defeat, Sarkozy announced he would support Fillon as his political choices were similar to his. Fillon served as prime minister under Sarkozy.

Bling bling to bust

Sarkozy tried to bury the &quot;bling-bling&quot; image of his 2007-12 presidency by casting himself as a defender of the &quot;down-and-outs against the elites&quot;.

His taste for the high life -- he is married to former top model Carla Bruni -- and failure to make good on many of his promises had relegated him to a one-term presidency after he lost to Socialist Francois Hollande in 2012.

In his comeback bid, Sarkozy did not shrink from controversy, sharpening his anti-immigrant rhetoric after the Bastille Day truck massacre in Nice that claimed 86 lives.

The son of a Hungarian immigrant drew a line in the sand by saying in September: &quot;Once you become French, your ancestors are the Gauls.&quot;

The remarks appealed to the base of the Republicans party but alienated the moderate right and centre while appalling the left.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Francois Fillon, who served as prime minister under Sarkozy, won the first round of the right-wing primary

Former president Nicolas Sarkozy has been knocked out of the French right-wing primary. Sarkozy stood third in the primary, behind two former prime ministers Francois Fillon and Alain Juppe. Sarkozy won just 23 per cent of the vote, four percentage points behind Juppe and 21 behind Fillon. "I did not manage to convince the voters," Sarkozy said in a speech to supporters after he was beaten. The top two candidates will contend in next Sunday's run-off. The winner will take on Le Pen, as the governing socialist party has been roiled by infighting and incriminations. Fillon, 62, enjoyed a late surge in voter intentions after Juppe, 71, enjoyed frontrunner status for two months, followed by 61-year-old Sarkozy. After the defeat, Sarkozy announced he would support Fillon as his political choices were similar to his. Fillon served as prime minister under Sarkozy. Bling bling to bust Sarkozy tried to bury the "bling-bling" image of his 2007-12 presidency by casting himself as a defender of the "down-and-outs against the elites". His taste for the high life -- he is married to former top model Carla Bruni -- and failure to make good on many of his promises had relegated him to a one-term presidency after he lost to Socialist Francois Hollande in 2012. In his comeback bid, Sarkozy did not shrink from controversy, sharpening his anti-immigrant rhetoric after the Bastille Day truck massacre in Nice that claimed 86 lives. The son of a Hungarian immigrant drew a line in the sand by saying in September: "Once you become French, your ancestors are the Gauls." The remarks appealed to the base of the Republicans party but alienated the moderate right and centre while appalling the left. (WION with inputs from AFP)

France: Sarkozy knocked out of presidential race

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