France’s Francois Fillon fights to keep presidential bid alive as former premier prepares to parachute in
Former French prime minister Alain Juppe is seen by many as a Plan B to replace Francois Fillon, who is increasingly isolated as backers defect
French conservative candidate Francois Fillon has told supporters they were victims of a a bid to “intimidate” them as he battled to keep his presidential hopes alive.
Marking his 63rd birthday on Saturday, Fillon struggled to turn the page on a nightmare week that saw a haemorrhage of support after he disclosed he would face charges over allegations he gave his family fake parliamentary jobs.
With some members of his own right-wing Republicans party urging him to drop out of the campaign, Fillon ruefully told 1,500 supporters at a rally north of Paris he had had “better” birthdays.
Without referring directly to his legal woes, he said: “They are trying to intimidate you. They are attacking me. But ... what they are trying to kill is a desire for change.”
Fillon has claimed that the accusations are politically motivated, even hinting he believes the ruling Socialist government is behind the investigation.