French right wing candidate for the upcoming presidential election Francois Fillon (R) and his wife Penelope Fillon (L) applaud during a campaign rally on January 29, 2017 in Paris. The campaign of Fillon, a former prime minister who won the conservative Republicans' nomination last year, has been dealt a serious blow by claims his Welsh-born spouse did nothing to earn half a million euros ($534,000) paid from public funds over eight years. / AFP PHOTO / Eric FEFERBERG