Born on March 4, 1954 in central France to a notary and a history teacher, he has three brothers. He graduated from school and University in Le Mans, and the Faculty of Law at the University of Paris V: Rene Descartes. He holds a DEA in Public Law, and a DEA in Political Science.
He began his political career as an assistant to a National Assembly Deputy for Sarthe (1976-1977). He then worked in the Transportation Minister's office (1978-1980) and subsequently the Defense Minister's office (1980-1981) under President Giscard d'Estaing. In 1981 he was appointed head of Legislation Department at private office of Minister of Industry.
He has been elected to municipal and regional positions, including as a member of municipal council, Deputy Mayor then Mayor of Sable-sur-Sarthe in Sarthe Department (1983-2001), and deputy chairman, then chairman of the General Council of the Sarthe Department (1992-1998). From 1990 to 1993 he was chairman of Economic Development Committee of the Sarthe Department. From 1998 to 2004 he was Chairman of the Pays de la Loire Regional Council.
In 1981, at the age of 27, he was elected deputy for the Sarthe Department on behalf of the Neo-Gaullist party The Rally for the Republic, and has been reelected several times to the National Assembly since. From 1986 to 1988, he headed the National Assembly Commission for National Defense and Armed Forces. He also served as Senator for the Sarthe Department.
From 1993 to 1995 he was Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research under PM Edouard Balladur. From 1995 to 1997 he served as Minister Delegate for Post Office, Telecommunications and Space under Alain Juppe. From 2002 to 2005 he was Minister of Social Affairs, Labour and Solidarity under Jean-Pierre Raffarin.
During the 1980's he was the Rally for the Republic party's National Secretary for Defense Issues. In 1999 he ran alongside Nicolas Sarkozy for the position of President of the party Rally for the Republic after Philippe Seguin's resignation but had to withdraw in favour of the winner in the first round of elections, Michele Alliot-Marie.
From 2004 he cooperated closely with Nicolas Sarkozy, the future presidential candidate of the ruling party, the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP). In June 2005 he joined Nicolas Sarkozy's campaign headquarters as a political advisor, contributing greatly to Sarkozy's win.
On May 18, 2007 he was appointed Prime Minister under PM Nicolas Sarkozy.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin first met with Franсois Fillon in May 2008 during a working visit to Paris. The prime ministers of the two countries chair the annual sessions of the Russian-French Commission on Bilateral Cooperation.
Franсois Fillon is married, with three sons and a daughter.