US EditionSocialist Leads Paris Mayoral Race but Leftist Rival Threatens to Split Vote
Emmanuel Grégoire leads with about 37% as multiple candidates surpass 10%, making alliance decisions crucial ahead of the second round of Paris mayoral elections.
- On March 15, 2026, Emmanuel Grégoire led the first round in Paris, taking a commanding lead with 36.4% of the vote as head of a left‑wing alliance including Greens and Communists.
- Amid anger over roadworks, mounting debt and a school child‑abuse scandal, the incumbent left faces unrest as Rachida Dati recently resigned as culture minister to focus on her campaign.
- Polls show Emmanuel Grégoire leading, with a roughly 10-point gap and candidates Bournazel and Chikirou above 10%, prompting his remark 'The women and men of Paris have put us clearly in the lead in this first round.'
- Whether candidates withdraw or ally will shape the second round, as Grégoire rules out a pact with the hard‑left and Dati urges centre‑right rivals to unite.
- Control of Paris carries broader political significance beyond municipal governance after 25 years of left‑wing mayors who transformed the city, including successive leaders like Bertrand Delanoë and Anne Hidalgo.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Daily Journal
Race for Paris mayor on knife's edge after first round
The race for Paris mayor looked uncertain Monday as a right-wing former minister hoping to wrest control of the French capital from the left claimed she had gained key support for a second-round run-off.
10:45 a.m. Rachida Dati confirms merging her list with that of HorizonsSur X, the candidate on the right confirms that she will "work with Pierre-Yves Bournazel on an alternation project." The two lists combined weigh 36.8%, less than the score of Gregory in the first round. So we will also have to go to get votes on her right for the former Minister of Culture.10:35 a.m. Bournazel ready for the alliance with Dati in ParisAfter having assured du…
Arriving largely in front of a Rachida Dati in loss of speed, the left's union list is in a favorable position. If Sophia Chikirou and Pierre-Yves Bournazel can keep up in the second round, they should not be able to impose as the "king's beans" of the Parisian election.
"Nothing Is Done" : on the Evening of the First Round, Emmanuel Grégoire Plays the Prudence in Paris
In front of militants galvanized by the first estimates, Emmanuel Grégoire preferred to play caution. Faced with a potential alliance of the right with the far right and the difficulties to agree with the Insoumis, the second round remains uncertain.
The right-wing candidate is estimated to have 25 per cent of the vote, compared to 35 per cent to 38 per cent for her left-wing rival. For the moment, the 12 per cent cent centrist Pierre Yves-Bournazel seems to want to stay in the running, asserting his wish to "fight" for the Parisians. The far-right candidate Sarah Knafo could also be able to maintain herself.
The alliance of left-wing French parties composed of the Socialist Party, the Communist Party and the Ecologists was placed in the first place of the vote in the first round of the municipal elections in Paris, according to estimates by the consultant Elabe Berger Levrault.The candidacy headed by Emmanuel Grégoire would reach 38.7% of support, standing ahead of the postulant of the block between the traditional right and the liberal center, Rach…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
