Former Prime Minister François Fillon has hit back at claims he put pressure on the Chief of Staff of the Elysée Palace, Jean-Pierre Jouyet, to speed up legal proceedings against Nicolas Sarkozy. The scandal reflects badly on the centre-right UMP party with rivalry between Sarkozy and Fillon even more under the spotlight than usual. Neither does it do any favours for the Socialist Party, with calls for President Hollande's right-hand man to step down.

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