Ex-PM Juppe says he won't run for the French presidency
March 6, 2017
Alain Juppe has said he's not prepared to be a candidate in the upcoming presidential elections. Many conservatives had favored the ex-prime minister as a potential replacement for embattled candidate Francois Fillon.
Image: picture.alliance/dpa/E. Feferberg
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Former French Prime Minister Alain Juppe on Monday said he would not enter the presidential race to replace Francois Fillon if the beleagured conservative decides to withdraw.
"I'm not in a position today to achieve the required unity behind a unifying project. I confirm once and for all that I will not be candidate to the presidency of the Republic," Juppe, 71, told a press conference in his hometown of Bordeaux.
Members of Juppe's Republicans party had been calling for him to throw his hat into the ring after a financial scandal engulfed Fillon's campaign and led to a significant drop in his poll ratings. The crisis stemmed from allegations that he paid his wife hundreds of thousands of euros in public money for a job that may not have existed. Fillon, also a former prime minister, has denied any wrongdoing.
Surveys suggest the 63-year-old, once a clear frontrunner, likely won't make it past the first round of voting on April 23. That would leave centrist Emannuel Macron to face off against far-right Front National leader Marine Le Pen in the second round on May 7. Polls show that Juppe, however, would have a better chance of reaching the runoff.
French election: The major players
France is choosing a new president this year. A first round vote on April 23 isn't expected to produce a clear winner, setting up a face-off between the top two contenders on May 7. DW takes a look at the major players.
Image: AP
Emmanuel Macron
Macron quit as economy minister in August and launched his independent presidential bid in November. The 39-year-old centrist formed his own political movement, En Marche (Forward), and is seen as a reformer. Despite having never held elected office, polls have predicted his win in the final round of voting in May. He's voiced admiration for German Chancellor Angela Merkel's refugee policy.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Bozon
Marine Le Pen
The National Front leader has adopted a more moderate tone than her anti-Semitic father, party founder Jean-Marie Le Pen. But she still takes a hard line on immigration, saying children of irregular migrants should not have access to public education. She also wants France to withdraw from the eurozone and have a referendum on EU membership. It's predicted she'll advance to the second round.
Image: Reuters/P. Rossignol
Francois Fillon
A surprise winner of the right-wing Republicans primaries, the socially conservative Fillon is seen to represent the interests of France's Catholic middle class. An admirer of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, he supports a liberal economic policy. Though Penelopegate and other scandals have marred Fillon's campaign, he has professed no wrongdoing and vowed to fight on.
Image: Reuters/P. Wojazer
Benoit Hamon
In a runoff against former French PM Manuel Valls in the Socialist primary, Hamon was the more left-wing choice of the two politicians. The 49-year-old supports a universal basic income and wants to shorten the traditional work week. He has also spoken in support of increased investment in renewable energy. He faces an uphill battle as many socialist politicians have voiced support for Macron.
Image: Reuters/P. Wojazer
Jean-Luc Melenchon
The Left Party's candidate landed fourth in the 2012 presidential elections. Melenchon, a current European Parliament member, believes the bloc's economic liberalism has stifled France. He hopes to profit from the center-left's disarray, but may split votes with socialist Hamon. Supported by the French Communist party, Melenchon advocates a shorter work week and climate protection.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/E. Feferberg
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'Too late'
Juppe told reporters "it's too late" for him to start a campaign. "Last week I received many calls asking me to take the helm. They made me hesitate, I thought about it. Today uniting everyone has become even more difficult."
"What a waste," Juppe said of the Fillon campaign, adding that it had reached a "dead-end."
Sarkozy joins the political chorus
Earlier on Monday, fellow conservative and former French President Nicolas Sarkozy had said he wanted to meet with Juppe and Fillon to resolve the political crisis.
In a post to his Twitter feed, Sarkozy said the situation was "creating deep unease among French people," and playing into the hands of the far-right.
A meeting of senior party officials was scheduled for Monday evening.
In advance of the meeting, anonymous members of Sarkozy's entourage called for Fillon to choose a replacement to serve as the conservative party's presidential candidate.
