Fillon Excludes Candidacy Withdrawal From Presidential Elections

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Republicans' candidate Francois Fillon said Tuesday that he is not going to withdraw his candidacy for French presidency, citing possibility of serious crisis.

"I met with the key candidates at [The Republicans] primaries, namely, Nicolas Sarkozy and Alain Juppe, I stated that there was no better alternative solution and that today’s withdrawal of my candidacy would create a major crisis," Fillon said, as quoted by Le Monde newspaper.

Local media reported earlier in the day, that a group of The Republicans’ lawmakers prepared a so-called declaration to urge searching for "political solution" to the present challenges, meaning the situation with their candidate, to avoid being absent from the second round of the presidential elections. The move followed Monday meeting, held by some members of The Republicans party to discuss the scandal that erupted in late January over the allegedly fake employment of Fillon’s wife.

Fillon was considered the leader in the presidential race, but lost popularity after January fraud scandal and is unlikely to enter the run-off elections, according to the recent polls.

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