Mr. Fillon, whom Mr. Sarkozy appointed as prime minister in 2007, co-opted those themes, using less harsh language, and pushed aside his former boss. With most of the votes counted, Mr. Fillon led with 44.1 percent, Mr. Juppé was second with 28.3 percent, and Mr. Sarkozy had 20.9 percent. Mr. Fillon, who was Mr. Sarkozy’s prime minister for five years, had languished in polls for months behind him and the more moderate Mr. Juppé. But in the past week, Mr. Fillon advanced in the polls, having positioned himself between the integrationist message of Mr. Juppé and the tougher positions of Mr. Sarkozy. For the next week, Mr. Fillon and Mr. Juppé will be seeking Mr. Sarkozy’s voters.

Source: New York Times November 21, 2016 01:16 UTC