US EditionFrench Municipal Elections: Left Holds Major Cities, Far Right Gains Nice
The Socialist Party retained control of major cities including Paris and Marseille, while the far-right National Rally made historic gains in smaller towns, winning 70 communes, analysts said.
- 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.
162 Articles
162 Articles
It Could’ve Been Worse—but France’s Local Elections Are a Warning to the Left
Cole Stangler The French left managed to hold on to key cities, but the far right and mainstream right also won key victories—and the intra-left bickering shows no signs of subsiding. The post It Could’ve Been Worse—but France’s Local Elections Are a Warning to the Left appeared first on The Nation.
romesentinel.com
Far-right French president no certainty despite rise of extremes
France's local elections show the appeal of political extremes is growing in France, but Marine Le Pen's far-right party is not necessarily poised to win the presidency next year when Emmanuel Macron must step down, analysts said Monday.
The left retains power in several French cities – while the far right claims to have made its “biggest breakthrough ever.” The French local elections have now been decided and the results could provide a clue for next year’s presidential election.
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