Former president Nicolas Sarkozy concedes defeat in French conservative presidential primary
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Former French President and candidate for France's conservative presidential primary Nicolas Sarkozy delivers a speech in early November. (AP)
France's former president Nicolas Sarkozy conceded defeat Sunday in the race to choose the conservative nominee for next year's presidential election.
Ex-prime ministers Francois Fillon and Alain Juppe both outpolled Sarkozy in early returns, and stand to advance to the Nov. 27 runoff.
In a speech from his campaign headquarters in Paris on Sunday, Sarkozy called on his supporters to vote for Fillon in the second round.
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With more than 3.2 million votes counted of an estimated total over 5 million, Fillon had 44 percent, Juppe 28.1 and Sarkozy 21.1.
Fillon has enjoyed a strong boost in popularity in recent weeks thanks to his image of authority and seriousness compared to Sarkozy's more brazen demeanor.