On Sunday, citizens across France returned to the ballot boxes to elect mayors in some of the country’s most significant urban centers, including the capital, Paris. This round of voting comes after a first phase last weekend, where nearly 35,000 municipalities—from small villages to larger towns—chose their local leaders. However, in approximately 1,500 communes, including the larger cities, no candidate secured an outright majority, necessitating these decisive run-off elections.
These local contests have attracted intense scrutiny as they offer a glimpse into the political mood of the nation ahead of the presidential election scheduled for next year. The stakes are particularly high for the left, which has governed Paris for the past quarter-century, as they strive to maintain control. Meanwhile, the far-right parties are aggressively campaigning to expand their influence, sensing a rare opportunity to gain ground in key urban areas and potentially reshape France’s political landscape.
In Paris, a city home to around two million residents, the mayoral race is especially tight. Emmanuel Gregoire, a leftist and former deputy to the outgoing Socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo, is battling to keep the city under left-wing leadership. His main challenger is Rachida Dati, a right-wing former minister of justice and culture, who has strong ties to ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy. Dati aims to become Paris’s second consecutive female mayor from the right, capitalizing on recent political shifts.
Voters like 77-year-old Patrice Laurent expressed concern over the possibility of Paris swinging back to the right. Standing outside a polling station in northeastern Paris, he voiced his desire to see the city remain under leftist governance, highlighting the deep divisions among the electorate. The contest has been further complicated by the fragmentation of the left vote, as Gregoire has refused to form an alliance with a hard-left candidate who remains in the race. This split could potentially weaken the left’s hold on the capital.
Rachida Dati’s campaign has gained momentum following the withdrawal of both a center-right and a far-right candidate, consolidating right-wing support behind her. Despite facing a corruption trial in September, which she denies, Dati has emphasized improving security and waste management—issues that have drawn criticism towards the current administration. Her recent re-election as mayor of Paris’s affluent seventh district, home to the National Assembly and numerous embassies, has bolstered her standing ahead of the city-wide vote.
Anne Hidalgo’s tenure as mayor has left a mixed legacy. She is credited with introducing extensive bike lanes and making the Seine river swimmable for the first time in a century, initiatives tied to the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics. However, critics argue that these changes have merely shifted traffic problems elsewhere and that the city’s cleanliness and security have deteriorated under her watch. These concerns resonate with voters like Bernard Collet, 79, who believes it is time for a change in leadership to address broader urban challenges beyond social issues.
Meanwhile, other parts of France are witnessing a surge in support for Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN). The party claims victories in 10 communes, including Perpignan, a southern city with 120,000 residents, marking the largest municipality under far-right control in the country. The RN also reports success in 14 additional districts, signaling growing influence at the local level.
The RN’s ambitions extend to larger cities such as Toulon, where their candidate leads significantly in the run-off. Capturing Toulon, with its population of 180,000, would represent the party’s most substantial urban win to date. In Marseille, France’s second-largest city, RN candidate Franck Allisio narrowly trailed incumbent left-wing mayor Benoit Payan by just one percentage point in the first round. However, the left may retain control after a hard-left candidate withdrew, potentially consolidating progressive votes.
In the northern port city of Le Havre, Edouard Philippe, a declared presidential hopeful and former prime minister known for his centrist stance, is well-positioned to secure another term as mayor. Philippe’s leadership during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic has earned him significant political capital, making him a formidable contender against the far-right’s presidential candidates, including Marine Le Pen and her young protégé Jordan Bardella.
Voter turnout by 1600 GMT on Sunday was reported at 48.90 percent, closely mirroring the participation rate at the same time during the first round. Last week’s overall turnout was 57 percent, marking one of the lowest levels in recent local elections, with the exception of the pandemic-affected 2020 polls. As the evening progressed, results from these pivotal mayoral races began to emerge, offering early insights into the evolving political dynamics ahead of the national presidential vote next year.
