François Fillon, the surprise frontrunner in the race for France’s centre-right presidential nomination, first attracted international attention — and caused domestic consternation — with a fit of French bashing.
On a trip to Corsica, shortly after his appointment as Nicolas Sarkozy’s prime minister in 2007, he was lending an ear to the grievances of local farmers seeking subsidies when he interjected: “I am at the helm of a state that’s in a position of bankruptcy, financially. I am at the helm of a state that for 15 years has been in chronic deficit. I am at the helm of a state that has not once passed a balanced budget in 25 years. This can’t go on.”
This was an unlikely outburst from a man whose demeanour suggests what the French think of as British “phlegm” — perhaps inspired by his Welsh wife Penelope — rather than Latin volubility. The comments triggered a furore in Mr Fillon’s camp and were met a few weeks later by a public presidential put-down. This was only the start of a tough, and at times humiliating, five-year term for Mr Fillon, during which time he earned the epithet “Mr Nobody”.