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The recent news of the victory of the ex prime minister during the government of Nicolas Sarkozy, Francois Fillon, has surprised some platforms of the mainstream media due to his hardline postures in defense of the French nation, as well as a pro-life, anti-abortion stance that makes him close to the ideals of the National Front of Marine Le Pen. One could certainly foresee a coming Alliance between the two political formations, due to Fillon´s pro-Russian views, favorable to the policies of the Russian President Putin on Syria. Furthermore, his idea of a European Union composed of sovereign nation states instead of an amorphous European state, commanded by the bureaucrats of Brussels, has been very attractive to an increasing number of disenchanted citizens of the working class.
Fillon´s path to victory in the primaries of the right-wing was clear when he hardened his views on certain issues such as security, immigration and abortion, something that made him earn harsh criticism from his immediate rival Alain Juppé, the mayor of Bordeaux. However, an opinion study published by the Institute Opinion Way on the 20 of November came to show that 56% would vote for Fillon over Juppé 44%, if there would be a second tour.
In addition to that, most of the voters of Sarkozy view him favorably (67%), as well as those of Bruno Le Maire (56%). A poll study made by Odoxa-Dentsu Consulting , and published on the 22 of november, came to show that 65% of the voters preferred Fillon over Juppé with 35%. These numbers are also shared by the poll made by Ifor-Fiducial for Itele Sud Radio and Paris Match, with the difference that the sympathizers of Sarkozy were at the side of Fillon at a 78%. However, the voters located on the centrist spectrum support Alain Juppé at a 66%, which means that the victory of the hardliner Fillon has partly contributed to provoke a schism within the UMP.
In order to win, his campaign chief Patrick Stefanini has marked a set of five priorities: reunite the party and its voters, keep the Left-wing divided , organize its campaign, arrange agreements with the parties located at the centre such as UDI of Jean-Christophe Lagarde, and MODEM of Francois Bayrou, and the fifth one, contain the ascensión of the National Front. In the words of Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, one of the rising stars of the right-wing formation: ‘ Fillon poses a strategic problem for us. He is the most dangerous for the National Front.’
Fillon´s proposals are that of an economic ordo-liberalism, pretty similar to the Thatcherism applied on the 80s in the United Kingdom. Fillon is in favour of abolishing the ISF tax, increasing the working hours for the civil servants up to 39 hours a week, as well as delaying the retiring age to 65 years, something that was also at the program of Bruno Le Maire and Alain Juppé.
Francois Fillon, contrary to what most can be lead to believe, is not an anti-establishment figure nor does he represent either a reaction or a denial of globalization. Fillon was invited to the annual gathering of the Bilderberg Club in november of 2011, and Juppé in 2015. At the gathering were very important French personalities such as Laurence Boone, Henri de Castries, Catherine Pégard, Nicolas Baverez, Christine Lagarde, along with the International Banker Ken Jacobs of Lazard Fréres, the neocon Richard Perle, the CEO of Royald Dutch Shell Peter Sutherland. It’s interesting to note that Fillon was also invited to the meeting of 2013, the importance and power of the Bilderberg Group was admitted by Fillon himself at an interview made by Philippe de Villiers at Martial Bild a year ago, the exprime minister came to say: ‘It´s them , Bilderberg, whom really govern us.’
Francois Fillon´s figure has many holes indeed, he has never been a staunch catholic throughout his political career, he was part of the 27 deputies of the UMP who voted on the 26 november of 2014 in favour of the socialist proposal of support of the Voluntary Interrumption of Pregnancy. Furthermore, he declared back in the 14 of november of 2012 at RTL: ‘There is the marriage between two men and two men; I don´t bear hostility towards that issue in particular.’ To make matters worse, Fillon declared on monday 15 november of 2010, the necessity of a government of duplicity: a government of freemasons for an electorate located at the catholic right-wing.
Therefore, we can easily say that Fillon´s traditionalism is a charade , destined to preserve the structures of the establishment untouched; his role is to play the conservative-catholic card, to undermine the National Front.
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