The French presidential election just got even crazier


America isn't the only democracy that has chaotic elections. In France, conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon is officially facing preliminary charges Tuesday after allegedly paying his wife thousands of euros for parliamentary assistant work she might not have actually done.
Fillon — who The Week's Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry describes as "a kind of French Marco Rubio" — previously said he would drop out of the race if the charges were formally brought against him, but he later walked back the promise after claiming his Republican party does not have an alternative to him as a nominee, The Republic reports.
French elections occur in rounds; if a candidate does not win the first election on April 23, a run-off between the top two candidates will be held May 7. Once a favorite, Fillon's chances have dimmed, with independent centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen edging ahead.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Fillon has maintained his innocence throughout the "fake jobs" scandal and even as many abandon his campaign, he has vowed to fight on. "There is only one thing that exists in a democracy: It's the people’s will," Fillon said in a press conference Monday. "The French will choose." Read more about the French election — and the surprising clout of Fillon's challenger, Macron — at The Week.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Marie Antoinette Style at the V&A: a ‘magnificent’ exhibition
The Week Recommends The UK’s first show dedicated solely to the French queen explores the complex woman behind the ‘bling’
-
8 riveting museum exhibitions on view in the fall
The Week Recommends See Winslow Homer rarities and Black art reimagined
-
Crossword: September 18, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants