The candidates for the right-wing Les Républicains party primaries ahead of the 2017 presidential election. From left, Alain Juppé, François Fillon and Nicolas Sarkozy | Loic Venance, Philippe Huguen, Martin Bureau/AFP via Getty Images Fillon, Juppé knock out Sarkozy in French Right’s primary Two former prime ministers will battle it out in a week. But for Sarkozy, it’s all over.

PARIS — François Fillon and Alain Juppé will face off next weekend in the final round of the French conservative primary election after coming out on top in Sunday's first round — a result that dealt a decisive blow to Nicolas Sarkozy's political career.

Fillon, who won nearly half of the votes, cruised to a surprisingly comfortable victory that defied most polling and predictions. Juppé, who was the clear frontrunner until a few weeks ago, came in second place with nearly 30 percent of votes, according to a vote tally provided by the primary's organizers.

In a major reversal, former President Sarkozy — who won about 21 percent of votes — conceded defeat during a brief and emotional speech that hinted at a retreat from front-line politics. His exit marked the end of an era for a politician who, as president, carried his country through the global financial crisis, but alienated much of France along the way.

"I was not able to convince a majority of voters," said Sarkozy. "It's time for me to start a life with more passion for the private and less passion for the public."

Sarkozy did not advise his voters to back either of his two rivals. But he said he would vote for Fillon in the runoff on November 27, citing political values that were "closer" to his own than those of Juppé.

'Thatcherite' stunner

Fillon's broad victory was a stunning performance for the race's outsider — an admirer of Margaret Thatcher whom many critics had written off just a few months ago.

"A powerful dynamic has formed around us" -- François Fillon told his supporters Sunday night

Over the summer, when Sarkozy was preparing to launch his bid, Fillon's campaign appeared to be sinking. Opinion polls showed his support levels falling to single digits, ranking him behind former Agriculture Minister Bruno Le Maire.

But Fillon, 62, used a series of live TV debates to fuel a powerful comeback. Surveys showed viewers were responding well to his no-nonsense style, clipped delivery and calls for "economic shock therapy" to pull France out of the doldrums.

A massive turnout of about 4 million voters — far above expectations — helped to propel Fillon into the frontrunner's position on Sunday.

"A powerful dynamic has formed around us," he said after arriving back at his campaign headquarters amid a throng of ecstatic supporters. "This could be seen around France with a campaign that belied all predictions."

Given his late emergence, media has focused less on Fillon's proposals than those of his rivals. A recent interview he gave to the weekly JDD newspaper was not deemed important enough to be teased on the front page — a hint of how ill-prepared most people were for his victory.

Now voters and media will scrutinize his ideas. More economically liberal than any other of his six rivals in the primary, Fillon wants to change the legal working week from 35 to 39 hours, while cutting public spending by €100 billion over a five year presidential term. He also wants to cut 500,000 civil service jobs — a proposal that will not sit well with trade unions.

"France needs a shock," he said again and again during his campaign.

Fillon, who has little experience with foreign policy, is also known as the primary's most Russia-friendly candidate. Saying Moscow is a "crucial partner" for Europe, he has called for the lifting of sanctions over Ukraine and blamed Western powers for having "provoked" Russia by expanding NATO too close to its borders.

In Syria, Fillon wants Western countries to join a coalition with Russia to combat Islamic State.

"We humiliate the Russians, we push them into the arms of extremists and nationalists and all of this comes back to weaken European security," he told Belgian daily La Libre in September.

Juppé 'fights on'

Fillon's stance on Russia is one of many points that set him apart from Juppé, who quipped last year that his rivals in the primary had come down with "an acute case of Russophilia."

While both represent France's establishment, having been active in politics for decades, Juppé advocates a slightly more cautious and gradual plan for reform. Instead of imposing changes to the 35-hour work week, the former prime minister wants to leave it up to employers and social partners to hammer out a move to 39 hours.

Instead of 500,000 civil service job cuts, Juppé calls for a cull of between 200,000 and 250,000 starting in 2018, via various methods of attrition.

In a hint of what is to come in the next week of campaigning, Juppé took aim at Fillon's electoral program, which he described as unrealistic.

"François Fillon presents himself as the candidate with the most audacious program," he told France Info radio earlier this week. "I say it's the least credible," he added, criticizing the former prime minister's record under Sarkozy, whom he served as an obedient prime minister for five years, an unusually long record of service.

With Fillon so far ahead in polls, pundits questioned whether Juppé should drop out and let the frontrunner prepare to run for president. The National Front's Marine Le Pen is expected to break through to the final round of the presidential campaign, intensifying interest in the conservative primary.

Juppé snuffed out the idea of ending his race Sunday night.

"I'm deciding to carry on the fight," he said.