German minister praises French candidate Fillon’s economics

The main hazard for the Republican candidate: his economic-liberal course could deter left-wing voters from choosing the conservative in order to avert Le Pen.

Fillon’s attitude toward radical Islam even made him friendly towards Russian Federation, with Fillon saying France should collaborate with Russian Federation to crush Islamic State in Syria.

It also helps Fillon’s centre-right in blocking the far-right National Front by taking away its only winning card. He wants to slash public spending, raise the retirement age, scrap the 35-hour working week, and cut back social security.

Francois Fillon saw off his last remaining rival on Sunday to be selected as the centre-right’s candidate for the French presidency.

“This evening, I offer my support to Francois Fillon and I wish him victory next May”, he said.

Fillon ran a populist campaign expressing nostalgia for a lost France and portraying himself as the only candidate capable of restoring its greatness and fixing its problems. Get breaking news right in your inbox.

Fillon’s defeated rival Alain Juppe had argued that his programme of more gradual reform and less traditional views on abortion or gay rights would make him more palatable to leftist voters. I give him today my support.

Fillon is the front-runner, both for the first round and the May 7 run-off, when he is expected to go on to win handily against Le Pen.

Enthusiastic for free-market principles in a country where state interference is the norm for governments of all political hues, Fillon is a rare fan of the late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

“Part of the FN electorate wants more protection from the state”. Fillon is now the favourite to face her and win the presidency next year, it said.

During the five years that he served as ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy’s prime minister from 2007 to 2012, the two men promised much and delivered little.

In the Var area, a National Front stronghold where Le Pen’s campaign director Rachline is mayor, Fillon attracted 79.4 percent of the votes in the second round of the primaries, compared to 66.5 percent nationwide.

Nevertheless, an opinion poll last month showed more than twice as many people would prefer Valls to be the Socialist candidate over Hollande.

Francois Fillon delivers a speech in Paris, France, on November 27, 2016.

For Fillon, his toughest challenge still remains, as his opponent, Le Pen is running an anti-establishment campaign targeting mainly immigrants, France’s large Muslim minority and the European Union.

More than 2.5 million people voted in the first round of the race and with most of the ballots counted, Fillon led with 44.1 per cent, followed by Juppe with 28.3 per cent and Sarkozy in third place with 20.9 per cent.

“Fillon has the credentials that neither of the other Republicans do with the radical right – so that will make it a lot more hard for Le Pen to compete against”.