François Fillon's condemnation: the embarrassment of the Republicans

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Three years after the fictitious jobs affair which had hit the headlines during the presidential election, François Fillon was sentenced yesterday Monday to five years in prison, two years of which closed. The Paris Criminal Court castigated the “breach of the duty of probity and exemplarity” of the former Prime Minister, whose wife was suspended three years. A verdict that caused amazement in the Les Républicains party. Yet François Fillon is the man who sank the right…

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Officially, we do not let go of the former right-wing candidate for the 2017 presidential election, yesterday a model of exemplarity and today sentenced to prison for embezzlement of public funds. François Fillon, we must remember a favorite time before depriving the right of a place in the second round. A first and especially the beginning of a descent into hell for the party, analyzes Anne Soetmondt of the political service of RFI.

► Also read : Suspected fictitious jobs: François Fillon sentenced to 5 years in prison, two of which closes

Among the first to react on Monday, the current LR boss, Christian Jacob who immediately expressed his friendly support, citing with the severity of the decision.

In the viewfinder of the supports of the former Prime Minister, a national financial parquet which would have investigated with political aims. For the leader of the LR senators, Bruno Retailleau, "  the blast of this conviction is intended to cover the noise of the revelations on a fully charged procedure  ". An allusion to the revelations of recent weeks on the relationship between power and the PNF, and not only in the Fillon case.

Fillon case: "There is a form of politicization which is worrying, there is a doubt which is now cast on justice", says @ BrunoRetailleau. # AuditionPublique pic.twitter.com/JxgHbVM5Iu

Fervent support of François Fillon, the deputy Eric Ciotti must even table a bill to abolish the PNF.

The terribly heavy conviction against F. Fillon is part of the continuation of a politico-judicial scenario of which we knew the outcome even before the outcome

From the start he had to be guilty, it was written in advance

I repeat my friendship to Francois Fillon

In the young gardebruno retailleau twitter

 on the right, however, we insist on a page that, finally, can be turned. "We would have done without the call," says a deputy.

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• French politics
• France
• François Fillon