French press review 6 March 2017

The refusal of embattled French Republican presidential hopeful François Fillon to step down over suspected fake parliamentary jobs he gave his wife and children, continues to dominate the front pages of the papers. .

Monday's papers explore the impase facing the French Republican Party and their estranged flag-bearer François Fillon ahead of Monday night's crisis meeting of the national executive council.

The winner of the party's primaries is pointing to some 200,000 flag-waving supporters, (40,000, according to the police), as a sign of his popularity and on Sunday warned that "no one" could force him to quit".

If Fillon stays in the race, the Republicans are no longer sure of making it to the second round, observes Libération. For the left-leaning newspaper, if they try to replace him the most radical of his supporters will go swell the ranks of the National Front.

That's an opinion shared by the regional newspaper La Montagne which notes that François Fillon has not changed an iota in his line which puts the conservatives in a dead end.

L'Alsace voices disbelief that instead of breaking the deadlock, a determined Fillon is instead driving at break neck speed towards a wall, taking his party along with him.

And according to the economic newspaper Les Echos, what "François Fillon is definitely determined to sow the seeds of discord and division among the Republicans just in case the party decides to replace him with Bordeaux Mayor Alain Juppé who came second in the primaries.

La Voix du Nord, warns that the Right-wing party is sliding into a deep crisis as no one can prevent Fillon from contesting the Presidential elections.

Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace agrees, that Fillon is driven by his ego and determination is actually threatening to cause a deep split within the party.

And according to La Nouvelle République du Centre-Ouest come hell or high water, he has conjured the devil and is ready to sink with the ship.

Right-wing Le Figaro believes there is some room for a compromise.

The Republicans it argues, must cut a deal, sooner than later, either endorse François Fillon, winner of the primaries and on the strength of the massive turnout by his supporters at Trocadero or bring in Alain Juppé, favoured by the polls and party apparatchiks, to win the 2017 elections for the party. It can't be the two together, warns Le Figaro.

The show of strength demonstrated at Trocadero  prolongs the Republican Party’s agony observes Ouest-France, adding that every passing hour renders the situation untenable and the options harder to make.

La Charente Libre says it expects the political council of the Republican party convened tonight to address the Fillon crisis to be a ruthless.

Finding a compromise candidate acceptable to the conservatives and Centrists won't suffice to get the party out of the woods warns le Républicain Lorrain.

And according to La Dépêche du Midi, no one seems to have any idea about what the French Republicans can do to extricate themselves from this incredible mess.