How will voters respond to François Fillon’s indictment?

Among his core supporters, who comprise about 18 percent of his support base, this isn’t going to change anything. For them, this latest episode only confirms the existence of a conspiracy, that Fillon is being pursued as in a manhunt. They remain convinced that he’s best placed to steer the ship in the face of the storm.

However, François Fillon must make gains in the polls, to increase his position by at least 5 percent. This is a very difficult goal to achieve. It’s like climbing the Himalayas without oxygen because over the next 40 days this indictment is going to drag him down, depriving his campaign of political oxygen.