France's Socialist party tightened its grip on four major cities in municipal elections over the weekend, while the far right fell short of a wider breakthrough ahead of the 2027 presidential race. Socialist candidate Emmanuel Grégoire won the Paris mayoral race on Sunday, succeeding fellow party member Anne Hidalgo in the French capital.
In major cities such as Paris, Marseille and Lille, incumbent Socialist administrations were comfortably returned after distancing themselves from the far left amid accusations of antisemitism. Mr Grégoire claimed victory after estimates placed him ahead of conservative rival Rachida Dati, who acknowledged defeat. “Tonight is the victory of a certain vision of Paris: a vibrant Paris, a progressive Paris,” he said.
The far right secured its most resounding win in Nice, France’s fifth-largest city, with the victory of Eric Ciotti, a former conservative who allied with Marine Le Pen’s National Rally. However, Le Pen’s party lost in several priority cities, including Marseille, where incumbent left-wing mayor Benoît Payan won, and in Nîmes and Toulon, where far-right candidates lost to mainstream rivals.
Turnout at 5pm local time was just over 48 per cent, higher than in the 2020 pandemic vote but lower than in 2014. Voter Elena Van Langhenhoven, 81, linked the vote to global conflicts and the looming presidential race, saying: “We have war in Ukraine, war in Gaza, war in the Middle East. And France, will it see a major shift next year, in the presidential elections? It’s horrendous.”
