The campaign for the Republican primary in the French presidential elections had been marked by concerns about immigration and Islamic extremism.
Donald Trump's election as president of the US was on many voters' minds as France faces its own wave of populism that has emboldened an outsider with an eye on the presidency.
Countries around Europe are facing similar anger at immigrants and the political establishment, and are watching the French presidential race closely.
Across France yesterday, queues were long at many polling stations as voters chose among seven candidates.
Nicolas Sarkozy (61) François Fillon (62) and Alain Juppé (72) had been expected to lead the balloting.
The conservative nominee is expected to have a strong chance of winning the April-May presidential election because traditional rivals on the left have been weakened by Socialist François Hollande’s troubled presidency.
The conservative candidate's main challenger may turn out to be far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who is hoping anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiment can propel her to the presidency.
Le Pen, official candidate of her once-pariah National Front party, did not take part in the conservative primary.
Security concerns
The conservatives’ campaign has focused on immigration and security concerns following recent attacks by Islamic extremists.
Sarkozy hoped to pull votes from people attracted to Le Pen. He had called for stricter immigration rules across Europe and vowed to ban Muslim women from wearing headscarves at universities and possibly elsewhere.
Hijabs are already banned in French schools, like all other visible signs of religion in strictly secular France.
Fillon – who enjoyed a recent boost in popularity thanks to his image of authority and seriousness compared to Sarkozy’s more brazen demeanour – has pledged to organise a referendum on a quota system for immigrants.
In contrast, Juppé advocates a more peaceful vision of French society, based on respect for religious freedom and ethnic diversity.
Juppé is currently France’s most popular politician and for months had been favourite to win the presidency.
Thatcher admirer
Fillon, who served as prime minister under Sarkozy, is an admirer of Margaret Thatcher. He is socially conservative, voted against same-sex marriage and has promised the most radical free-market reform, vowing to cut 500,000 public sector jobs in five years.
Juppé used his last rally in Lille to warn against Fillon. “France needs far-reaching and radical reforms, but be careful of going too far. We must remain credible,” he said.
Fillon attracted huge crowds at his final rally in Paris. “I’m tagged with a liberal label as one would once, in the Middle Ages, paint crosses on the doors of lepers,” he said. “But I’m just a pragmatist.”
At his final rally in Nîmes, Sarkozy continued his hardline campaigning that has veered towards the far-right, warning of a France whose “identity and unity are threatened”. He said: “Political Islam is doing battle against our values. There’s no room for compromise.”
It is the first time the established French right has run a US-style open primary race. Any voter who signed a charter saying they agree with the “Republican values of the centre and the right” and pays €2 can take part.
Other candidates in the vote included Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet; and former government ministers Bruno Le Maire and Jean-François Cope.
– (Guardian, AP)