French Voters Reject Sarko Comeback

Nicolas Sarkozy isn't going to get a second shot at the French presidency: The former president was unexpectedly defeated in a primary for the center-right Republican party, reports Reuters. After his defeat, Sarkozy endorsed former prime minister Francois Fillon, who will face Alain Juppe, another former PM, in a runoff vote next month. "It's time for me to try a life with more private passions than public ones," Sarkozy told reporters. The winner of the runoff vote will compete in next year's presidential election and, according to the BBC, will probably compete against far-right leader Marine Le Pen in the final round of voting because the ruling Socialist Party is deeply unpopular and divided. (More Nicolas Sarkozy stories.)