Paris– France’s far-right has taken the lead in the first round of municipal elections in the south-east, while control of most major cities including Paris remains uncertain ahead of upcoming runoffs. the vote is is widely seen as a test Before next year’s presidential elections.
Voters voted in approximately 35,000 villages, towns and cities, with approximately 93% of them selecting their mayor in the first round, where mostly one or two candidates, not affiliated with any party, competed.
According to the Interior Ministry, turnout reached more than 57%, which is higher than turnout during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but significantly lower than in 2014.
Here’s what to know ahead of the second round on March 22:
Sunday’s first round showed Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally is gaining ground locally, especially in southeastern France.
The party’s No. 2 leader, Louis Aliot, won by a landslide in his stronghold of Perpignan.
In Marseille, France’s second-largest city, outgoing leftist Mayor Benoit Payon finished the first round neck-and-neck with national rally contender Franck Alessio.
In Nice on the French Riviera, Eric Ciotti, a former conservative who launched his own far-right party in 2024 and formed a coalition with National Rally, emerged as the favorite for the second round.
The far right is also well situated in the southern cities of Nîmes and the port of Toulon, a major naval base on the Mediterranean Sea.
Elections are yet to be held for thousands of municipal councils, including the French capital Paris and other major cities.
In places where three or more candidates qualified for the runoff, negotiations to merge the lists, potentially giving them a better chance of winning, were to conclude before 6 pm on Tuesday.
The coalition, led by the traditional left and the hard-left France Unbowed, is highly debated. Veteran firebrand Jean-Luc MélenchonWhich showed strong results in many big cities.
France Unbowed was once an ally of socialists, greens and communists. But the coalition collapsed as political rivals accused French politicians of tolerating anti-Semitic rhetoric. After this, some critics also blamed the hard leftists for increasing the tension. a far right extremist He was beaten to death in Lyon last month.
Nevertheless, some electoral compromises have been made on a case-by-case basis.
In Lyon, France’s third-largest city, outgoing Mayor Gregory Doucet, a Green, joined with France Unbowed in a tight race against right-wing contender Jean-Michel Aulas, a business owner and former football club president.
Anti-racism group SOS Racisme called on mainstream parties to unite to stop the far right. “Any coalition should not be ruled out if it helps prevent this party from taking control of new municipalities,” Dominic Sopo, the group’s president, said in a statement.
Le Pen’s party remains weak in several major urban centres, with limited support in cities such as Paris and Lyon.
Leftist candidate Emmanuel Gregoire leads the race for Paris mayor after the first round, but the race against conservative rival Rachida Dati is expected to be tough.
Dati, a prominent figure who until recently served as France’s culture minister, hopes to end 25 years of leftist leadership at City Hall. But his political career has also faced controversies. Daati is scheduled to stand trial in September on charges of corruption and influence peddling.
Grégoire, a former deputy to outgoing mayor Anne Hidalgo, heads a coalition including socialists, greens and communists. Grégoire said he would not compromise with France Unbowed, whose candidate also qualified for the second round, making the result highly unpredictable.
Outgoing Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who was elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2020, decided not to seek a third term after the 2015 extremist attacks and leading the city. 2024 paris olympics.
All eyes are already on the 2027 presidential race, as municipal elections are the last nationwide vote before the campaign for France’s top job and an opportunity for all parties to shore up their local grassroots. Under the French constitution, President Emmanuel Macron cannot seek a third consecutive term.
In the northern port city of Le Havre, outgoing Mayor Edouard Philippe, who ousted earlier Sunday, is seeking an unexpected victory that could cement his political status as a potential presidential contender. Philippe, a centre-right politician, was Macron’s prime minister for three years.
On the far right, the National Rally relies on key mayoral jobs to demonstrate the party’s ability to stay on top.
Marine Le Pen was long considered a leading candidate for the presidency. But last year he was convicted of embezzlement and barred from holding public office for five years. She is appealing this decision The court’s main decision is expected on July 7.. if he is stopped from walkingHis protégé Jordan Bardella will replace him as the party’s candidate.
Several other top politicians on the left and right have expressed presidential ambitions, but no one has yet emerged as a clear leading contender.
