Fillion wins French Conservative primary

Francois Fillon has won France’s first-ever conservative presidential primary after promising drastic free-market reforms and a crackdown on immigration and Islamic extremism.

The election will likely be another test of a Western country’s anti-establishment anger. Fillon served as prime minister from 2007-2012 under the unpopular president Nicolas Sarkozy, playing a key role in an administration that promised economic reform but failed to deliver.

Should Fillon face far right candidate Marine Le Penn, The Harris interactive poll says that he would beat her by 67 percent to 33.

The Socialist president of France’s lower house of Parliament, Claude Bartolone, said last week he wants both Hollande and Valls to run in the primary.

He promises this time that raising the retirement age to 65 and ending early pension rights for many in the state sector will be one of his first measures if he wins power next May.

In a victory speech, Mr Fillon said his job was to “overcome leftist failure, and extreme right bankruptcy”.

After Donald Trump’s win and Brexit, the entire world is now following the French presidency elections, expecting a total change and a shake-up of the political system of France. Fillon insists “Russia poses no threat” to the West, while Juppe wants France to continue putting pressure on Putin on various fronts.

Fillon, 62, presents his platform as “radical:” He wants to cut taxes on business and slash public spending to boost France’s stagnant economy and proposes strong measures to reduce immigration “to a minimum”.

Turnout in the primary stood at around four million, roughly the same as in the first round of voting a week ago when Fillon came from behind to lead a field of seven candidates.

And now that François Fillon won yesterday’s “right and center” primary ahead of next year’s presidential election, the far-right French leader Marine Le Pen must shift her strategy.

“I’m going to need everyone”, Mr Fillon told a room packed with supporters in central Paris.

Nov 28, 2016- Francois Fillon is to be the conservative candidate in next year’s French presidential election after his rival Alain Juppe admitted defeat. Current President Francois Hollande is also yet to announce whether or not he will be running in the race next year. There are signs that his prime minister, Manuel Valls, might run on his own.

He is also a social conservative who wants to limit adoption rights of gay couples and he has called for warmer ties with Russian Federation.

The party’s deputy leader, Florian Philippot [flor-ee-AHN fil-ip-O], says Mr Fillon’s economic program is harsh, and his views are outdated and won’t be supported by the French people.