French Senate leader said challenge to Fillon candidacy is over: source

PARIS (Reuters) - French Senate leader Gerard Larcher told a key meeting of senior party officials that Francois Fillon would be the conservative candidate in the presidential election and that the internal challenge was over, a participant in the meeting told Reuters. "The debate is closed," Larcher was quoted as saying. He is the chair of The Republicans' political committee which was meeting on Monday evening. Larcher also asked Fillon to act to unite his conservative political camp, the source said. (Reporting by Sophie Louet; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Adrian Croft)