French press review 21 November 2016

Former president Nicolas Sarkozy suffers humiliating first-round exit in the Republican Presidential primaries with commentators savoring the sweet revenge of the man Sarkozy once described as "Mister Nobody".

Sarkozy came third place after a stunning upset by Francois Fillon, who served as his Prime Minister, while the veteran Bordeaux Mayor Alain Juppe was second in a vote described by the commentators as a brutal rejection of the brashness of Sarkozy.

"Journey's end for Sarkozy as Francois Fillon crushes everything on his way" hoots Le Parisien/Aujourd'hui en France. "Fillon in clean sweep as de-complexed right wins big", crows Le Figaro, while Libération relishes in "Sarkozy crash as Fillon takes to the skies.

According to Libé, Sarkozy ended up being "Kärchérisé" - or swept away by the high pressure washer he threatened to use to clean up the suburbs, while serving as Interior Minister. 

According to the publication despite Sarkozy's so-called "verbal provocations and populist vociferations in front of hysterical crowds, he ended up being "eliminated by Droopy".

Le Figaro upholds the opinion that the "Yes" by millions of voters, was to say the least a "massive No" to President Francois Hollande.

As it points out, just like five years ago, when the Socialist primaries stimulated a wave of "anti-Sarkozysm", the Republicans' race is driven by anxiety to be done with the Hollande era.

According to Le Figaro, in the wake of the President's ineffective rule and fragmentation of the Left, the Right-wing and Centrist primaries were seen by many as an  occasion to elect the next President of France.

For the business newspaper, Les Echos, Nicolas Sarkozy's first round elimination from the Presidential race is all the more humiliating because he was elbowed out by Francois Fillon, who served as his prime minister and who Sarkozy once dismissed as a “Mister Nobody”.

"It is sweet revenge for Francois Fillon", says the paper, for a man whose time as Sarkozy's premier was transformed into a tormenting ordeal.

According to Le Parisien/Aujourd'hui en France Francois Fillon is a big fan of motor racing and on Sunday it was in the last stretch that he secured victory by a large margin.

An anti-Sarkozy vote does not suffice to explain the result says Le Parisien, adding that such factors could have been plausible had the ballots been cast in favour of Bordeaux Mayor Alain Juppé.