French rightwing frontrunner Fillon faces instant barrage
The surprise winner of the first round of France's rightwing presidential primary immediately came under attack Monday, with Francois Fillon's rivals slamming his radical reform agenda as "ultra-conservative" and "unworkable". Former prime minister Fillon, an admirer of Margaret Thatcher, pulled off a stunning upset Sunday, coming from behind to knock his former boss Nicolas Sarkozy out of the race and beating the favourite, Alain Juppe, into distant second. Fillon will go head-to-head with fellow former premier Juppe in a run-off Sunday that is widely expected to decide France's next leader after a prospective duel next year with far-right leader Marine Le Pen.