François Fillon, Candidate in French Election, Vows to Run Despite Inquiry
PARIS — François Fillon, the conservative candidate, defiantly declared on Wednesday
that he would not abandon his bid for the French presidency, four days after prosecutors said they were opening a formal investigation into his possible misuse of public funds.
Le Pen would lead in the first round, which is often used by voters to vent frustrations, and
that she would face either Mr. Fillon or Mr. Macron in the second round, which this year would be held May 7.
By ADAM NOSSITER and DAN BILEFSKYMARCH 1, 2017
Mr. Fillon, the center-right candidate for the French presidency, vowed to stay
in the race even as he faces charges in a widening embezzlement investigation.
If Mr. Fillon had dropped out of the race, the greatest beneficiaries would most likely have been Emmanuel Macron, 39, who has started his own political movement
and who favors keeping the country in the European Union; and Marine Le Pen, a right-wing populist whose potent cocktail of protectionist economic policies and right-wing nationalism has resonated with voters.
Mr. Fillon’s campaign announced earlier in the day
that he would not be visiting the annual Salon International de l’Agriculture in Paris, normally an obligatory stop for politicians seeking to draw support from France’s important farming sector, prompting widespread speculation that he would pull out of the race.
The scandal surrounding Mr. Fillon escalated when French prosecutors said they had opened a full-scale investigation
into whether he had embezzled public funds, threatening to make his candidacy increasingly untenable.