2016 The Republicans (France) presidential primary

The 2016 The Republicans (Les Républicains) presidential primary was a two-round election held in France in November 2016 to select the party's nominee for the 2017 presidential election. It was the first open primary ever organized by The Republicans (formerly the Union for a Popular Movement, or UMP) and its allies. Any French citizen registered to vote and willing to pay €2 and sign a statement of adhering to the "values of the Republican right and center" could participate.

The first round took place on November 20, 2016, featuring seven candidates: Nicolas Sarkozy, Alain Juppé, François Fillon, Bruno Le Maire, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, Jean-Frédéric Poisson, and Jean-François Copé. François Fillon surprisingly won the first round with 44.1% of the vote, followed by Alain Juppé with 28.6% and Nicolas Sarkozy with 20.7%. Sarkozy, the former president, was eliminated and subsequently announced his retirement from politics.

The second round was held on November 27, 2016, and pitted François Fillon against Alain Juppé. Fillon won convincingly with 66.5% of the vote to Juppé's 33.5%. Fillon's victory was attributed to his more conservative social and economic platform.

The primary was considered a significant political event in France, shaping the field of candidates for the 2017 presidential election. However, Fillon's campaign ultimately faltered following allegations of misuse of public funds, negatively impacting his performance in the presidential election.