Far-Right Gains and Macron Setbacks Mark France Local Elections

France’s local elections saw a higher-than-expected voter turnout, with strategic victories for the far-right National Rally (RN) and leftist parties, while Macron’s centrist Renaissance party lagged in key urban areas.

Renaissance candidates struggled in France’s largest cities. In Paris, Emmanuel Gregoire, deputy to Socialist Mayor Anne Hidalgo, led with 36.4%, while Renaissance candidate Rachida Dati came second with 24.8%, and LFI’s Sophia Chikirou took 13.7%. In Marseille, incumbent left-wing mayor Benoit Payan led with 36.8%, narrowly ahead of RN candidate Franck Allisio at 35.4%. Lyon saw a tie between leftist Gregory Doucet and center-right Jean-Michel Aulas, each receiving 37.5%.

Macron’s former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe led the Renaissance list in Le Havre with 43.76% of votes, securing first place in the first round.

The RN achieved first-round mayoral victories in Perpignan (51.4%), Frejus (51.33%), and Henin-Beaumont (78%). RN-backed candidates also led in Toulon (39.4%) and Nice (41.9%), signaling strong far-right momentum in southern France. RN leader Jordan Bardella praised the first-round wins and indicated willingness to support right-wing lists in the second round.

LFI coordinator Manuel Bompard highlighted strong performances in Roubaix and Limoges, noting hundreds of second-round contests for LFI candidates. He urged leftist coalitions to unite against the far-right in key municipalities. Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure confirmed 350 PS mayors were re-elected, but emphasized there is no national alliance with LFI. Renaissance secretary Gabriel Attal reaffirmed no plans for alliances with RN or LFI.

The second round of France’s local elections will be held on March 22. France’s municipal elections are conducted via list-based voting. First-round victories require over 50% of votes; otherwise, lists with at least 10% of votes advance to the second round. In this cycle, 904,042 candidates contested 50,478 lists nationwide. Mayors are ultimately elected by city councils following the second-round results.