Juppe Says He Won't Be a Stand-In Candidate in French Race
Source: Bloomberg
Alain Juppe, a former prime minister who was defeated in the Republican party primary, said he won’t step in as a replacement candidate in France’s presidential election.
“I confirm, once and for all, that I will not be candidate for the presidency,” Juppe, 71, said in a televised statement Monday.
Juppe’s party is trying to salvage its presidential campaign with candidate, Francois Fillon, facing criminal charges for allegedly embezzling public funds. As recently as two months ago, 63-year-old Fillon, another former premier, was the front-runner in France’s most important election in decades. Now he’s facing mounting calls to withdraw.
Juppe’s decision leaves Fillon in place, for now at least, as Republican chieftains prepare to meet this evening in Paris to decide on a plan to take on the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and independent contender Emmanuel Macron.
Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-03-06/juppe-says-he-won-t-be-a-candidate-in-french-presidential-race