Forget the headlines and terms like the underdog and “French Thatcher” connotation, Francois Fillon, on Sunday, became Les Républicains party’s presidential candidate, having beaten Alain Juppe in a second-round vote.

The hard-right politician, who has vowed to conquer “Islamic totalitarianism”, clamp down on mass immigration, and seek closer ties with Russia would face off Marien Le Pen, leader of the far-right, xenophobic Front National (FN) party and a yet-to-be-decided Socialist Party nominee.

Fillon is not new to French politics. He was the prime minister during Nicolas Sarkozy’s administration (2007–2012), served as labour minister in 2002 and education minister in 2004. Despite being dubbed “Mr Nobody”, political researchers believe that his role behind the scenes may have actually helped his emergence as presidential candidate.

But who is Francois Fillon?

Traditional, Conservative, French

62-year-old François Charles Amand Fillon is the son of a provincial solicitor, Michel Fillon, and university professor Anne Soulet, from Sarthe in west France. He was brought up in a strict Catholic household.

He studied journalism and then law, graduating from the University of Maine, Le Mans, where he also obtained a Master of Public Law in 1976. During his studies he met his future wife, Welsh-born Penelope “Penny” Kathryn Clarke. It is a less known fact that Penny’s younger sister Jane is married to Fillon’s younger brother Philippe.

The couple take privacy seriously and Penny Fillon admits she prefers country life to partying and politicking in Paris. She has been described as “the anti-Carla Bruni”–Sarkozy’s supermodel-turned-singer wife.

After studies, Fillon became a parliamentary assistant to his local MP and was elected to the national assembly in 1981, at the age of 27.

Political Fillon

When Fillon assumed office in the national assembly, he was a member of Rally for the Republic (RPR)—a now-defunct party committed to an ideology pioneered by former French President, Charles de Gaulle.

Gaullism, as it is called, is a kind of nationalism that has dominated the French right in the post-war era emphasising the need for social cohesion and a strong, independent foreign policy.

His first ministerial post as education minister came in 1993 under Prime Minister Edouard Balladur. As social affairs minister under Jacques Chirac, Fillon had the image of being honest, putting in the hours during long negotiations with trade unions – He went on to hold five other cabinet posts, before serving as prime minister for five years until 2012 under Nicolas Sarkozy.

However, as prime minister under Sarkozy between 2007 and 2012, Fillon was presented with a detailed report, written by Jacques Attali, listing 37 reforms needed to get the economy going. No action was taken, one of such was to break up the cartels in provincial France that regulate planning, house sales, and business start-ups.

Fillon for France: What he’s offering

In summary, Francois Fillon’s economic and political views are not far off from those of Nicolas Sarkozy, which have seen as socially conservative and economically neoliberal.

Economy-wise, he intends to:

• Increase the manpower hours from a 35 to 39 work week for private sector employees;
• Lower taxes and increase the retirement age to 65;
• Over € 100 billion in spending cuts over the 5 years, amounting to a cut of 500,000 jobs in the public sector; and
• Fund to establish entrepreneurship and create 500,000–1,000,000 jobs

Socially, he is in support of a ban on adoption by same-sex couples and also wants a referendum on the immigration quota. Fillon also believes France needs to work with Putin to defeat ISIS in Syria and he supported the movement to ban “burkinis”–the swimwear marketed to Muslim women who want to cover up at the beach.

It is a gamble because Fillon’s economic plan represents a radical stance to take on the trade unions and focus on France’s stagnant economy.

Can Fillon be president in 2017?

Well, despite being the unlikely candidate in the primaries, Fillon has won over voters with increasing strides. To french nationals and socialists alike, a similar “Fillon” exists in the form of current Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, who offers the same narrative on Islam and the need for labour market reform.

His position on how to defeat ISIS would endear him not only to Donald Trump, the US president-elect, who holds a similar view.

Fillon’s social conservatism borders on his Catholic roots as he expresses personal opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage. Though he has said he will not attempt to reverse French law in either area (both are legal).

In terms of addressing issues, he and FN leader Le Pen, are quite alike as the appeal centres on opposition to immigration.

Would he win? That’s the big question that the electorate in France would decide come April 23, 2017.