A Look at the Candidates of France’s Conservative Primary

French voters defied expectations on Sunday (Nov 20) by throwing ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy out of the race to be the conservatives’ nominee for the presidential election and propelling his ex-prime minister Francois Fillon to top spot.

Juppe, a moderate conservative campaigning on an inclusive, “happy identity” platform, had for months appeared on track to win the nomination of the Les Republicains party and its center-right allies.

Former president Nicolas Sarkozy looks set not to make it through to next week’s second vote after picking up 22,9% according to provisional results from more than half the polling stations.

As the votes began filtering in it became clear Mr Sarkozy was trailing behind the three candidates, and he recognised his defeat in a speech to supporters. Former boss Sarkozy stands accused of cutting 10,000 police jobs while president – a policy that the ruling Socialists have mostly reversed through new recruitment since the attacks.

The victor of the Republican primary is likely to face far-right leader Marine Le Pen in the presidential election in the first round in April 2017.

The two remaining candidates will go head-to-head on the final round on November 27th, with the victor hotly tipped to take up the job at the Elysee Palace.

The victor of the second round of voting on November 27 is expected to trigger an announcement from Hollande on whether he intends to run for re-election despite the lowest popularity ratings of any post-war French president.

Concerns about migration helped drive Britain’s vote to leave the European Union, and are weighing on upcoming elections elsewhere.

The victor of the Republican primary is likely to make the presidential run-off, where he or she will probably face far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

Leader of the National Front since 2011, Le Pen is a fierce euroskeptic who has said there would be no place for multiculturalism if she took power. “I will therefore vote for him in the second round of the primary”, he said.

Recent polls have not tested a run-off between Fillon and far-right leader Marine le Pen, though some political risk analysts say it would improve Le Pen’s chances of winning.

Some voter surveys at the end of campaigning put Fillon almost level with Sarkozy and Juppe, the 71-year-old political veteran who had been the frontrunner for the past two months.

Juppe and Fillon are “two characters of great quality who do honor to the right”, Sarkozy said in a televised statement.

Results from the first-round voting are expected late Sunday.

Mr Juppe, 72, promoted a more peaceful vision of French society, based on respect for religious freedom and ethnic diversity.

On the economic front, all candidates called for lower taxes, especially on businesses, and a reduction in the number of public servants. They also all agree to reverse the 35-hour workweek, a measure applied to all French employees since 2000.

Mr Sarkozy, 61, told his supporters: “I failed to convince a majority of voters”.

With the governing socialists unpopular and divided, it seems unlikely that any left-wing candidate will survive the first round in April.