FILE PHOTO: Francois Fillon , former French prime minister, and Alain Juppe, current mayor of Bordeaux, stand together after the results in the second round for the French center-right presidential primary election in Paris, France, November 27, 2016. Former prime minister Alain Juppe on Friday backed Francois Fillon’s French presidential bid and became one of his sponsors, a bid to heal party divisions just days after he sharply criticized the conservative candidate in a speech.