{"id":272296,"date":"2016-11-28T06:46:22","date_gmt":"2016-11-28T06:46:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=272296"},"modified":"2016-11-28T06:46:22","modified_gmt":"2016-11-28T06:46:22","slug":"france-presidential-race-fillon-wins-conservative-candidacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2016\/11\/france-presidential-race-fillon-wins-conservative-candidacy\/","title":{"rendered":"France presidential race: Fillon wins conservative candidacy"},"content":{"rendered":"
Francois Fillon is to be the conservative candidate in next year’s French presidential election after his rival Alain Juppe admitted defeat.<\/p>\n
With virtually all the results counted, Mr Fillon won Sunday’s run-off with nearly 67% of the vote.<\/p>\n
Mr Fillon promised to build a fairer society, saying France wants “truth and it wants action”.<\/p>\n
He is likely to face a Socialist candidate and the far-right’s Marine Le Pen in next April’s election.<\/p>\n
Mr Juppe, the more moderate candidate, congratulated Mr Fillon on his “large victory” and pledged to support him in his bid to become president.<\/p>\n
Analysis by Lucy Williamson, BBC<\/strong> News,<\/strong> Paris<\/strong><\/p>\n Francois Fillon was the man to beat going into this run-off vote, and his team knew it.<\/p>\n Shortly after polls closed, they were already celebrating at his party headquarters, as the first partial results came in. Within hours, it was confirmed. Mr Fillon had won two-thirds of the vote; a stunning victory for the candidate once seen as the ‘third man’ in the contest.<\/p>\n Alain Juppe appeared in front of his own, determined supporters, to concede the contest. He gave a small smile to the crowds chanting his name and told them he was ending the contest as he began it: “A free man, who didn’t betray who he was or what he thought.”<\/p>\n The job for Mr Fillon now is to unite his party after this unprecedented primary battle, and prepare to take on the governing Socialist party – and the far-right leader Marine Le Pen – in presidential elections next year.<\/p>\n What now for France’s left and far-right?<\/p>\n With votes from 9,713 of the 10,229 polling stations counted, Mr Fillon had won 66.6% while Mr Juppe had 33.4%.<\/p>\n As the result of the Republican party primary became clear, Mr Fillon told his supporters he would work for change.<\/p>\n “If the French people entrust me with their confidence,” he said, “I will try to respect that contract and conduct myself with dignity.”<\/p>\n “I will take up an unusual challenge for France,” he went on to say. “To tell the truth and completely change its software.”<\/p>\n