Imagine if Republican leaders had been as principled and patriotic.
French conservative Fillon calls on supporters to support centrist Macron against the far-right leader Le Pen.
"This is still an anti-establishment outcome, even though Macron represents a centrist platform," Erik Brattberg, director of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Europe Program, told ABC News. "Worth watching now is whether other French politicians will be rallying around Macron to defeat Le Pen in 2nd round."
François Fillon, the conservative candidate who appears to have come in third place, conceded defeat, saying "There is no other choice than to vote against the extreme right. Therefore I am voting for Emmanuel Macron.
After the initial exit polls were announced, the country's prime minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, called on voters to support Emmanuel Macron and reject Le Pen in the next round, according to the Associated Press.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/defeated-french-conservative-fillon-calls-supporters-support-centrist-46970624