US EditionFrench Municipal Elections: Left Holds Major Cities, Far Right Gains Nice
Socialists maintained control of Paris and Marseille while the far right won Nice; turnout was 57%, the lowest since 2020, signaling mixed results ahead of 2027 elections.
- On Mar 22, 2026, exit polls showed the National Rally fell short of Marseille and Toulon, Emmanuel Grégoire beat Rachida Dati in Paris, and Edouard Philippe was re-elected in Le Havre.
- After the first round, tactical withdrawals and alliances, including Sebastien Delogu's Marseille pullout, reshaped contests in about 1,500 communes and harmed the RN's chances.
- In provincial contests, the RN retained strength in towns like Perpignan, Montargis, Carcassonne, and La Seyne-sur-Mer, while overall turnout stood at 57 per cent.
- Jordan Bardella said 'The National Rally and its candidates have achieved tonight, in this municipal election, the biggest breakthrough in its entire history', while Olivier Faure claimed the night showed hope for the left.
- Senior figures on the mainstream right warned they must unite to win next year's presidential election, while local ballots are watched as mood gauge and Edouard Philippe, former Prime Minister and Le Havre mayor, secured his conditional presidential run.
201 Articles
201 Articles
As a result of the local elections in France held on Sunday, left-wing politicians will continue to lead the two largest cities there.
After the French local elections, which are considered a dress rehearsal for next year's presidential election, almost everyone has something to hold on to.
Since Sunday, the National Rally has been trying to camouflage its failures to the municipalities in the largest cities by explaining that its population would have made "secession." On the contrary, it is because it "lives together" that this electorate does not choose the far right.
In the south-west, the National Rally won seven times more votes than in 2020 and won 156 seats in municipal councils. The far right confirms its breakthrough in the Au region.
In the local elections, France's right-wing party Rassenmblement National did not achieve the hoped-for breakthrough. Traditional parties can still not sit back in the presidential election of 2027.
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Bias Distribution
- 35% of the sources lean Left
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