Frances fillon under pressure to quit presidential bid as fake work row rages

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Frédéric Fillon, a French politician and former Prime Minister, is facing a scandal over allegations that he used fake jobs to pay his wife and children. The scandal has led to widespread calls for him to withdraw from the French presidential election, which is scheduled to take place in April.

Fillon, who was the favorite to win the election, has denied any wrongdoing and has refused to step down from the race. However, his campaign has been severely damaged by the scandal, and many of his supporters have abandoned him.

The scandal centers around allegations that Fillon, who was a member of parliament from 1981 to 2017, gave his wife, Penelope, a series of fake jobs at the National Assembly, including as a parliamentary assistant and a secretary. The allegations were first made by the French newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné, which claimed that Fillon had paid his wife and children hundreds of thousands of euros in fake salaries.

Fillon has denied any wrongdoing, saying that his wife was a legitimate employee and that he had done nothing illegal. However, the scandal has led to widespread criticism of Fillon and his campaign, and many have called for him to step down from the race.

The scandal has also led to a number of high-profile defections from Fillon's campaign, including several prominent politicians and business leaders. Fillon's campaign has also been hurt by the fact that many of his supporters have abandoned him, and his popularity has plummeted in recent weeks.

Despite the scandal, Fillon has refused to step down from the race, saying that he will continue to campaign and that he is confident that he will win the election. However, it is unclear whether he will be able to recover from the scandal and win the election.

The scandal has also raised questions about the integrity of the French political system and the way that politicians are held accountable for their actions. Many have called for greater transparency and accountability in French politics, and for politicians to be held to higher standards of behavior.

Overall, the scandal has been a major blow to Fillon's campaign and has raised questions about the integrity of the French political system. It remains to be seen whether Fillon will be able to recover from the scandal and win the election, or whether another candidate will emerge as the front-runner.