Ex-FM Minister Juppe Denies Rumors of Replacing Fillon in Presidential Race

© AFP 2023 / GEORGES GOBETRight-wing candidate for the upcoming presidential election Francois Fillon (R) and Bordeaux's Mayor Alain Juppe (L) (File)
Right-wing candidate for the upcoming presidential election Francois Fillon (R) and Bordeaux's Mayor Alain Juppe (L) (File) - Sputnik International
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French former Prime Minister Alain Juppe stated that he will not replace The Republicans' presidential candidate Francois Fillon in the ongoing presidential race.

French politicians Alain Juppe, and Francois Fillon arrive on stage to attend the second prime-time televised debate for the French conservative presidential primary in Paris, France, November 3, 2016 - Sputnik International
French MPs Support Fillon Amid Scandal, Juppe's Refusal to Be 'Plan B'
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — French former Prime Minister Alain Juppe refuted rumors on Monday that he intended to replace The Republicans' presidential candidate Francois Fillon in the ongoing presidential race amid Fillon’s fake job scandal.

"It is difficult to understand where these rumors come from. I’ve already expressed my position: clearly and definitely not," Juppe told journalists, as quoted by Le Parisien newspaper.

Juppe reiterated his statement on Twitter, where he wrote that "a no is a no."

​In November 2016, Fillon defeated Juppe in the second round of the center-right primaries, receiving over 4.1 million of votes.

Fillon, who was initially one of the pollsters' favorites, saw his ratings drop after the scandal broke out in late January around his wife allegedly having been paid from state funds for jobs without exercising her duties. French media also questioned Fillon's children's employment as his parliamentary assistants between 2005 and 2007.

French politician Alain Juppe, current mayor of Bordeaux, and member of the conservative Les Republicains political party, reacts after partial results in the first round of the French center-right presidential primary election at his campaign headquarters in Paris, France, November 20, 2016. - Sputnik International
Juppe Concedes Defeat in French Center-Right Presidential Primaries
The French police, which opened a probe into the matter, carried out searches in the headquarters of the magazine where his wife Penelope Fillon used to work and in the French Senate. On Saturday, French media published the copies of checks that supposedly serve as evidence of Fillon misappropriating public funds.

The center-right candidate has denied all accusations and pledged to continue fighting. On Sunday, a poll by Ifop revealed that as many as 68 percent of French respondents believe that Fillon should step down as a presidential candidate.

The first round of the French presidential elections is scheduled for April 23, with the run-off slated for May 7.

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