'Penelope Gate': French Twittersphere explodes into mockery and anger

Twitter users have been quick to ridicule the presidential candidate François Fillon for paying his wife Penelope Fillon around half a million euros to be his parliamentary aide over eight years.
The Twitter hashtag #PenelopeGate emerged after the news that presidential forerunner has been paying his British born wife Penelope Fillon around €500,000 of parliamentary funds to do what many suspect was a made up job.
Many people chose to mock the Fillons and in particular the claim that his wife has always worked "discreetly" as his aide.
"When you're too happy with your parliamentary job to respond to criticism"
Quand t'es trop prise par ton job d'attachée parlementaire pour répondre aux critiques. #PenelopeGate pic.twitter.com/jySA0SsB5G
— Claire Underwood (@ParisPasRose) January 24, 2017
"Rare image of Francois Fillon and his woman skin wallet #PenelopeGate"
Image rare de François Fillon et de son porte-monnaie en peau de femme. #PenelopeGate pic.twitter.com/NjxsoQgCUl
— LeLoupDeWallSheep (@KraKenTentacula) January 25, 2017
"A job interview with Fillon:
-You have a CV.
-No, but I've got something better
-What have you got?
-The family tree
À un entretien d'embauche chez Fillon:
- Vous avez un CV.
- Non mais j'ai mieux.
- Vous avez quoi?
- L'arbre généalogique.#PenelopeGate
— PepsiCopate® (@PCopate) 25 janvier 2017
"Fillon, his priority is employment (of his wife)"
Fillon, sa priorité c'est l'emploi (de sa femme) #PenelopeGate
— Matgoa (@Matgoa) January 25, 2017
"According to Fillon supporters, this escalator works, but "it has always been discrete"
Selon les fillonistes, cet escalator travaille mais "il a toujours été discret"... #ALaPénélope #PenelopeGate pic.twitter.com/8H2CI2W1PP
— SniperDeDroite (@SniperDeDroite) January 25, 2017
Others pointed out the irony of some of his earlier campaign messages...
"When Fillon talks about his wife:
'There is a social injustice between those who work hard for little, and those who do not work and receive public money'"
Quand #Fillon parle de sa femme... #PenelopeGate pic.twitter.com/xFJcJJjJjg
— Grégoire de Linares (@G_deLinares) 25 janvier 2017
"When you embezzle €600,000, try not to make this kind of tweet...Total indecency:
Quand on détourne 600 000 euros, on évite de faire ce genre de tweet...L'indécence totale ! #PenelopeGate #FillonGate pic.twitter.com/rHFfeUuKTU
— Hérétique (@Sansdieux) January 24, 2017
One simply encapsulated what Fillon must be doing right now
"Mood"
Mood.#PenelopeGate #PenelopeFillon #Penelope #fillon #FillonGate pic.twitter.com/sCOuF73vp7
— Spikette (@LittleSpikette) January 25, 2017
Some pointed out that Mr Fillon isn't the only one in the relationship not putting in the hours
"I wasn't following, which member of the Fillon couple had a fictitious job in the assembly?"
J'ai pas suivi, c'est lequel dans le couple Fillon qui avait un emploi fictif à l'assemblée ? #PenelopeGate pic.twitter.com/lJgxERKJqo
— airwone17 (@airwone17) 25 janvier 2017
One user had some useful advice for getting through the presidential elections.
"1. Read
2. Laugh
3. Cry a little on the inside
4. Repeat every week for a different politician"
1 - Lire.
2 - Rire.
3 - Pleurer un peu à l'intérieur.
4 - Répéter chaque semaine avec un politicien différent. #PenelopeGate pic.twitter.com/Q83r7VNqcL
— Tania (@TaniaKessaouti) January 25, 2017
By Rose Trigg
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The Twitter hashtag #PenelopeGate emerged after the news that presidential forerunner has been paying his British born wife Penelope Fillon around €500,000 of parliamentary funds to do what many suspect was a made up job.
Many people chose to mock the Fillons and in particular the claim that his wife has always worked "discreetly" as his aide.
"When you're too happy with your parliamentary job to respond to criticism"
Quand t'es trop prise par ton job d'attachée parlementaire pour répondre aux critiques. #PenelopeGate pic.twitter.com/jySA0SsB5G
— Claire Underwood (@ParisPasRose) January 24, 2017
"Rare image of Francois Fillon and his woman skin wallet #PenelopeGate"
Image rare de François Fillon et de son porte-monnaie en peau de femme. #PenelopeGate pic.twitter.com/NjxsoQgCUl
— LeLoupDeWallSheep (@KraKenTentacula) January 25, 2017
"A job interview with Fillon:
-You have a CV.
-No, but I've got something better
-What have you got?
-The family tree
À un entretien d'embauche chez Fillon:
— PepsiCopate® (@PCopate) 25 janvier 2017
- Vous avez un CV.
- Non mais j'ai mieux.
- Vous avez quoi?
- L'arbre généalogique.#PenelopeGate
"Fillon, his priority is employment (of his wife)"
Fillon, sa priorité c'est l'emploi (de sa femme) #PenelopeGate
— Matgoa (@Matgoa) January 25, 2017
"According to Fillon supporters, this escalator works, but "it has always been discrete"
Selon les fillonistes, cet escalator travaille mais "il a toujours été discret"... #ALaPénélope #PenelopeGate pic.twitter.com/8H2CI2W1PP
— SniperDeDroite (@SniperDeDroite) January 25, 2017
Others pointed out the irony of some of his earlier campaign messages...
"When Fillon talks about his wife:
'There is a social injustice between those who work hard for little, and those who do not work and receive public money'"
Quand #Fillon parle de sa femme... #PenelopeGate pic.twitter.com/xFJcJJjJjg
— Grégoire de Linares (@G_deLinares) 25 janvier 2017
"When you embezzle €600,000, try not to make this kind of tweet...Total indecency:
Quand on détourne 600 000 euros, on évite de faire ce genre de tweet...L'indécence totale ! #PenelopeGate #FillonGate pic.twitter.com/rHFfeUuKTU
— Hérétique (@Sansdieux) January 24, 2017
One simply encapsulated what Fillon must be doing right now
"Mood"
Mood.#PenelopeGate #PenelopeFillon #Penelope #fillon #FillonGate pic.twitter.com/sCOuF73vp7
— Spikette (@LittleSpikette) January 25, 2017
Some pointed out that Mr Fillon isn't the only one in the relationship not putting in the hours
"I wasn't following, which member of the Fillon couple had a fictitious job in the assembly?"
J'ai pas suivi, c'est lequel dans le couple Fillon qui avait un emploi fictif à l'assemblée ? #PenelopeGate pic.twitter.com/lJgxERKJqo
— airwone17 (@airwone17) 25 janvier 2017
One user had some useful advice for getting through the presidential elections.
"1. Read
2. Laugh
3. Cry a little on the inside
4. Repeat every week for a different politician"
1 - Lire.
— Tania (@TaniaKessaouti) January 25, 2017
2 - Rire.
3 - Pleurer un peu à l'intérieur.
4 - Répéter chaque semaine avec un politicien différent. #PenelopeGate pic.twitter.com/Q83r7VNqcL
By Rose Trigg
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