François Fillon, Facing Calls to Quit French Race, Enjoys a Day of Gains<br />Nicolas Sarkozy, a former president who also lost to Mr. Fillon in the primaries, said in a statement Monday morning<br />that he wanted to organize a meeting with Mr. Fillon and Mr. Juppé to find a "dignified and credible way out of a situation that can no longer last." So far, Mr. Fillon has dug in his heels.<br />Ms. Fillon also said she had urged her husband to continue his campaign, as did the thousands of supporters who stood under pouring rain Sunday afternoon in Paris, waving French flags<br />and chanting for Mr. Fillon to "hold fast" because "France needs you." "It’s the union between the people and the future president," Franck Patti, 53, a project manager for the City of Paris, said about the rally.<br />He criticized Mr. Fillon on Monday for his "obstinacy," and he called Mr. Fillon’s dismissive response to the corruption allegations against him "a dead end."<br />But Mr. Juppé, 71, said that he was not the man to replace Mr. Fillon now.<br />Fillon said that If, by magic, the French had been able to witness what I’ve seen these last weeks, a wave of disgust would submerge them,<br />Patti said that The Republicans must see that Fillon is their natural candidate,<br />Fillon said that No one can stop me from being a candidate,
