- Title: Former French PM Fillon supporters overjoyed at conservative primary success
- Date: 20th November 2016
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (NOVEMBER 20, 2016) (REUTERS FOR AGENCY POOL) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** FILLON SUPPORTERS CHEERING FILLON SUPPORTERS APPLAUDING AND CHANTING (French): "We are going to win!" FILLON SUPPORTERS SHOUTING (French): "Fillon, president!" (SOUNDBITE) (French) FILLON SUPPORTER, CHRISTOPHE, SAYING: "The first reactions are ones of joy obviously because to have a score like that when everyone, really everyone, for months and months, said that Fillon was the third or fourth man, and no-one paid attention to him and no-one showed interest in his candidature, well it's a nice revenge. A good vengeance for democracy, for seriousness and depth because with Fillon we have a serious manifesto that stands its ground and will finally allow France to be reformed." WAITER BRINGING TRAY WITH RED WINE AND FRENCH SNACKS FILLON SUPPORTER, BERNARD, EATING AND DRINKING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FILLON SUPPORTER, BERNARD, SAYING: "Well, firstly it's what I was expecting and I'm delighted. He's going to be president of France." BERNARD WEARING FILLON 2017 PIN FILLON SUPPORTER, PATRICK, SPEAKING TO WOMAN IN BAR FRENCH FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (French) FILLON SUPPORTER, PATRICK, SAYING: "Very happy, very moved. It's the result of a huge effort from Francois Fillon, his whole team, all the supporters, so a lot of emotion. And well the fight continues, the work continues, there's a second round and then the presidential elections so he'll have to convince well beyond his own camp." VARIOUS OF FILLON SUPPORTERS IN BAR (SOUNDBITE) (French) FILLON SUPPORTER, GEORGINE, SAYING: "We're very happy, 42,8 percent, the numbers are great, he led a great campaign, he wasn't 'bling bling' and didn't leave things unsaid and so the voters have spoken." FILLON SUPPORTERS AND MEDIA OUTSIDE "LE DAUPHINE" CAFE
- Embargoed: 5th December 2016 21:07
- Keywords: Francois Fillon Les Republicains election vote France Alain Juppe Nicolas Sarkozy
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA0025991DMV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Supporters of the French presidential hopeful Francois Fillon cheered as local television announced the first results of France's conservative primaries on Sunday (November 20), which saw the former prime minister ahead with a commanding lead over his opponents.
In a major upset for the ex-president, Nicolas Sarkozy failed to qualify for the second round run-off with Alain Juppe, another former prime minister, taking second place.
Juppe and Fillon now look set to go head-to-head on November 27, with polls showing the winner of that contest well-placed to win the election for president in May.
Fillon supporters like Christophe crowded into a popular bar next to his headquarters, and he said he was thrilled with the results.
"The first reactions are ones of joy obviously because to have a score like that when everyone, really everyone, for months and months, said that Fillon was the third or fourth man, and no-one paid attention to him and no-one showed interest in his candidature, well it's a nice revenge. A good vengeance for democracy, for seriousness and depth because with Fillon we have a serious manifesto that stands its ground and will finally allow France to be reformed," he said.
According to results based on 9,036 polling stations out of a total 10,229, Fillon was seen gathering 44.2 percent of the votes, Juppe 28.3 percent and Sarkozy 20.8 percent, with the gap with Sarkozy widening from the first partial results.
Bernard, an avid and long-time Fillon supporter said it was a slam dunk.
"It's what I was expecting and I'm delighted. He's going to be president of France," he said.
With the left very divided and opinion polls showing a majority of voters opposed to seeing the far-right National Front in power, the chosen centre-right nominee is likely to defeat party leader Marine Le Pen in an expected election run-off next May.
But while polls have consistently shown the 71-year-old Juppe would easily beat Le Pen, there have been no recent surveys on how Fillon would fare in such a match.
Until a week ago, Fillon, 62, a social conservative with economically liberal ideas, trailed Juppe and Sarkozy badly in polls and had not been expected to go through to the second round of the primaries.
Juppe, a moderate conservative campaigning on an inclusive, "happy identity" platform, had for months been ahead in polls. But over the past week the contest has transformed into a tight race between the three men. - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
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