Fillon Vows to Vote Against Le Pen if He Fails in 1st Stage of France's Election

"I will not lose on April 23… Everyone knows my beliefs, everyone knows that I have fought the National Front all my life and I will not stop this at 63," Fillon said, while broadcast by the BFMTV channel, when asked whether he would cast his vote for Le Pen in May's run-off if he fails to clear the first round himself.

The first round of the French presidential election is slated for April 23, while the run-off is expected to take place on May 7. Recent polls indicate that The Republicans' nominee Fillon is projected to receive some 20 percent of votes in April. He is lagging behind both Le Pen and independent candidate Emmanuel Macron, who are projected to gain between 24 and 26 percent each. In the run-off, Le Pen is expected to lose both to Macron and Fillon.