Former French Prime Minister François Fillon has declared victory in the country’s first ever conservative presidential primary, defeating moderate candidate Alain Juppé, also a former prime minister. Fillon will now face a battle with far-right leader Marine Le Pen and advance to France’s two-round presidential election in April and May of next year. Fillon, 62, is the favorite to win the much-anticipated presidential race. Nicolas Sarkozy, the former French president, was knocked out of the primary race last weekend, dashing his hopes for a comeback bid.
