Left-wing parties have held onto Paris, Marseille and Lyon, according to provisional results announced on Sunday evening. The far right failed to take the big cities it had hoped, but made significant inroads in smaller ones.
Issued on: 23/03/2026 - RFI
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Socialist Emmanuel Grégoire, who chose not to ally with hard-left LFI in the second round, was elected mayor of Paris. © Geoffroy van der Hasselt / AFP
Most of France's almost 35,000 villages and towns elected municipal leaders in a first round last weekend, but the races went to run-offs on Sunday in about 1,500 communes, including bigger urban centres.
In Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, a former deputy of outgoing Socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo, beat right-wing former minister Rachida Dati.
Provisional results put 48-year-old Grégoire on 51 percent and Dati on 40 percent. Sonia Chikirou of the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) came third with on around 8 percent.
Most of France's almost 35,000 villages and towns elected municipal leaders in a first round last weekend, but the races went to run-offs on Sunday in about 1,500 communes, including bigger urban centres.
In Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, a former deputy of outgoing Socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo, beat right-wing former minister Rachida Dati.
Provisional results put 48-year-old Grégoire on 51 percent and Dati on 40 percent. Sonia Chikirou of the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) came third with on around 8 percent.
Rachida Dati had described the campaign to become mayor of Paris as "the battle of (her) life". REUTERS - Benoit Tessier
Former justice and culture minister Dati, a protegee of convicted ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy, had hoped to seize Paris for the right after 25 years of rule by the Socialists, and become its second female mayor in a row.
"Paris has decided to stay true to its history," Gregoire told a cheering crowd, before making the journey to Paris City Hall by bike.
Emmanuel Gregoire is surrounded by journalists and supporters as he arrives in front of the Paris City Hall after early results suggested he won the second round of the French mayoral election in Paris. REUTERS - Abdul Saboor
In Marseille, the leftist incumbent, Benoit Payan, was comfortably re-elected with more than 53 percent, beating far-right candidate Franck Allisio of the National Rally, after running neck-and-neck in the first round.
Taking Marseille, France's third biggest city, would have given a huge boost to the RN, which controls only one town – Perpignan – of more than 100,000 inhabitants.
In Marseille, the leftist incumbent, Benoit Payan, was comfortably re-elected with more than 53 percent, beating far-right candidate Franck Allisio of the National Rally, after running neck-and-neck in the first round.
Taking Marseille, France's third biggest city, would have given a huge boost to the RN, which controls only one town – Perpignan – of more than 100,000 inhabitants.
'Reasons to hope'
In the northern port city of Le Havre, Edouard Philippe was comfortably re-elected with 47.7 percent of the vote, provisional results showed.
The centre-right former prime minister, who has declared he will run for president in 2027, is seen as one of the strongest opponents to the RN's potential presidential pick – whether veteran leader Marine Le Pen or her 30-year-old lieutenant Jordan Bardella.
"There are reasons to hope," Philippe told his supporters.
In the northern port city of Le Havre, Edouard Philippe was comfortably re-elected with 47.7 percent of the vote, provisional results showed.
The centre-right former prime minister, who has declared he will run for president in 2027, is seen as one of the strongest opponents to the RN's potential presidential pick – whether veteran leader Marine Le Pen or her 30-year-old lieutenant Jordan Bardella.
"There are reasons to hope," Philippe told his supporters.
Edouard Philippe (C-L) makes a V-sign after being re-elected as mayor of Le Havre. © Lou Benoist / AFP
However another former prime minister – centrist François Bayrou – lost his seat in Pau, where he's been mayor since 2014. The seat was won by Socialist Jérôme Marbot, running on a united left ticket.
President Macron's centrist Renaissance party had few illusions of making big gains in the local elections by party leader Gabriel Attal welcomed Renaissance victories in Bordeaux and Annecy, taken from the Greens .
He also highlighted what he called an “anti-extremist” lesson. “The French reject this drift toward the extremes and want to start hoping again,” he said.
Limited far-right gains
MP Eric Ciotti, who ran on a combined right-wing/far-right ticket, won the city of Nice on the Côte d'Azur, beating outgoing conservative mayor Christian Estrosi on 45 percent versus 39.5 percent respectively.
Ciotti deemed it a victory for his strategy of uniting the right and far right.
The RN party had been hoping for wins in southern urban hubs, notably Marseille, Toulon and Nimes, but exit polls suggest otherwise. Nimes elected Communist candidate Vincent Bouget.
However another former prime minister – centrist François Bayrou – lost his seat in Pau, where he's been mayor since 2014. The seat was won by Socialist Jérôme Marbot, running on a united left ticket.
President Macron's centrist Renaissance party had few illusions of making big gains in the local elections by party leader Gabriel Attal welcomed Renaissance victories in Bordeaux and Annecy, taken from the Greens .
He also highlighted what he called an “anti-extremist” lesson. “The French reject this drift toward the extremes and want to start hoping again,” he said.
Limited far-right gains
MP Eric Ciotti, who ran on a combined right-wing/far-right ticket, won the city of Nice on the Côte d'Azur, beating outgoing conservative mayor Christian Estrosi on 45 percent versus 39.5 percent respectively.
Ciotti deemed it a victory for his strategy of uniting the right and far right.
The RN party had been hoping for wins in southern urban hubs, notably Marseille, Toulon and Nimes, but exit polls suggest otherwise. Nimes elected Communist candidate Vincent Bouget.
Eric Ciotti (centre) sits alongside Marine Le Pen (right) and RN spokesperson Sebastien Chenu (L) at a meeting of the far-right party in 2024 after he left the conservative Republicans to form a broad right/far-right alliance. AFP - GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT
However, the RN won the smaller southern towns of Menton, Carcassonne, Orange and Castres. It also took control of Vierzon, La Flèche and Liévin – bastions of the left.
In winning Wittelsheim, it made its first inroads in the region of Alsace on the border with Germany.
“Never before have the RN and its allies had so many elected officials across France,” said RN president Jordan Bardella, claiming the party had won 70 communes.
However, the RN won the smaller southern towns of Menton, Carcassonne, Orange and Castres. It also took control of Vierzon, La Flèche and Liévin – bastions of the left.
In winning Wittelsheim, it made its first inroads in the region of Alsace on the border with Germany.
“Never before have the RN and its allies had so many elected officials across France,” said RN president Jordan Bardella, claiming the party had won 70 communes.
No green wave
In Lyon, France's second largest city, incumbent mayor Grégory Doucet of the Greens beat right-wing candidate and former president of Olympique Lyonnais Jean-Michel Aulus by a margin of less than 3,000 votes.
Aulus initially refused to concede defeat and announced he would file an appeal citing "irregularities during the election". He later said he would accept defeat if the final results were confirmed.
While the last municipal elections in 2020 saw a "green wave" – with ecologists taking big cities like Lyon, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Grenoble, Poitiers, Besançon and Annecy – the party managed to hold onto only Grenoble and Lyon.
Difficult alliances
One of the key takeaways from this second round of municipal elections is that alliances between the Socialists (PS), Greens and hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) – designed to keep out the far right – did not pay off.
PS-LFI alliances lost out in Toulouse, Limoges, Poitiers and Besançon.
While in Paris and Marseille, the Socialists, with Greens support, won without forming an alliance with LFI.
The hard-left party led by firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon won the towns of Roubaix and Creil in the north of France, and Vénissieux in the Rhone valley. It had already won Saint-Denis, north of Paris, in the first round.
Overall turnout stood at 57 percent – the country's lowest in local polls bar the 2020 edition that took place during the Covid pandemic.
One of the key takeaways from this second round of municipal elections is that alliances between the Socialists (PS), Greens and hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) – designed to keep out the far right – did not pay off.
PS-LFI alliances lost out in Toulouse, Limoges, Poitiers and Besançon.
While in Paris and Marseille, the Socialists, with Greens support, won without forming an alliance with LFI.
The hard-left party led by firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon won the towns of Roubaix and Creil in the north of France, and Vénissieux in the Rhone valley. It had already won Saint-Denis, north of Paris, in the first round.
Overall turnout stood at 57 percent – the country's lowest in local polls bar the 2020 edition that took place during the Covid pandemic.
Emmanuel Grégoire elected Paris mayor, succeeding fellow left-winger Anne Hidalgo
Socialist frontrunner Emmanuel Grégoire comfortably defeated veteran conservative Rachida Dati in a second-round runoff for Paris mayor on Sunday, defying forecasts of a close race to extend the left's quarter-century rule in the French capital.
23/03/2026 - FRANCE24
Socialist frontrunner Emmanuel Grégoire comfortably defeated veteran conservative Rachida Dati in a second-round runoff for Paris mayor on Sunday, defying forecasts of a close race to extend the left's quarter-century rule in the French capital.
23/03/2026 - FRANCE24
By: Benjamin DODMAN
Tense campaign
The election caps a tense campaign that saw Grégoire accuse President Emmanuel Macron of meddling in local politics to weaken his chances, a claim the French leader dismissed as “nonsense”.
The Socialist frontrunner had taken a commanding lead in the first round last week with almost 38% of the vote, more than twelve points ahead of Dati, who served as culture minister under Macron.
But Dati's alliance with a centre-right rival and the tactical withdrawal of a far-right challenger looked to have boosted her chances going into the second round, even as Grégoire refused to team up with Chikirou, splitting the left-wing vote.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen had also called on voters in Paris to oust the left from power – though that call may have been more of a blessing for Grégoire, with the Le Pen brand still toxic to most voters in the French capital.
For Grégoire, Sunday's resounding victory provides vindication of his decision not to ally with Chikirou's France Unbowed, whose radical rhetoric has alienated many moderate voters – and possibly cost the left victories elsewhere in France.
'Inner wound'
A discreet politician who has worked behind the scenes both in government and at City Hall, Grégoire has vowed to pursue the capital’s green revolution and improve public housing in the densely populated city of 2 million people that is grappling with a housing crisis.
As heir to Hidalgo, he will also face a public angered by roadwork disruptions, mounting debt and a scandal involving child sexual abuse allegations by school monitors in nursery and primary schools.
Grégoire, who has promised to improve the recruitment and training of school monitors in Paris, has spoken publicly about being a victim of sexual abuse in an after-school swimming programme for several months when he was in primary.
“I have long carried in me an inner wound,” he said last year, adding that he hoped telling his story might encourage children to speak out.
The incoming mayor has promised a leadership style “closely connected to the people” and has sought to distance himself from Hidalgo's style of governance, which critics described as abrasive, even as he promises to embrace and continue much of her legacy.
The French capital's mayor-elect Emmanuel Grégoire cycled to the Hôtel de Ville, the Paris City Hall, after his resounding victory.
© Kenzo Tribouillard, AFP
Socialist frontrunner Emmanuel Grégoire was elected Paris mayor on Sunday, beating right-wing former minister Rachida Dati in the last major test of the French public mood ahead of next year’s all-important presidential election.
Grégoire, a 48-year-old former deputy of outgoing Mayor Anne Hidalgo, was credited with around 51% of the vote, trouncing Dati and hard-left rival Sophia Chikirou – and defying forecasts of a close race.
“Paris has decided to stay true to its history,” Grégoire told a cheering crowd, vowing to resist the right and far right in the lead-up to next year’s presidential polls.
“Paris will be the heart of the resistance against this alliance of the right, which seeks to take away what we hold most precious and fragile: the simple joy of living together,” he added.
Socialist frontrunner Emmanuel Grégoire was elected Paris mayor on Sunday, beating right-wing former minister Rachida Dati in the last major test of the French public mood ahead of next year’s all-important presidential election.
Grégoire, a 48-year-old former deputy of outgoing Mayor Anne Hidalgo, was credited with around 51% of the vote, trouncing Dati and hard-left rival Sophia Chikirou – and defying forecasts of a close race.
“Paris has decided to stay true to its history,” Grégoire told a cheering crowd, vowing to resist the right and far right in the lead-up to next year’s presidential polls.
“Paris will be the heart of the resistance against this alliance of the right, which seeks to take away what we hold most precious and fragile: the simple joy of living together,” he added.
Emmanuel Grégoire defied forecasts of a close race to comfortably win the French capital's mayoral election. © Kenzo Tribouillard, AFP
The newly elected mayor then cycled to City Hall on a Velib’, the French capital’s flagship bike-sharing system, signalling continuity with his predecessors.
His victory follows 25 years of transformational rule under successive left-wing mayors Bertrand Delanoë and Hidalgo, who have turned the polluted metropolis into a tree-lined city of bike lanes and pedestrian streets.
The newly elected mayor then cycled to City Hall on a Velib’, the French capital’s flagship bike-sharing system, signalling continuity with his predecessors.
His victory follows 25 years of transformational rule under successive left-wing mayors Bertrand Delanoë and Hidalgo, who have turned the polluted metropolis into a tree-lined city of bike lanes and pedestrian streets.
Tense campaign
The election caps a tense campaign that saw Grégoire accuse President Emmanuel Macron of meddling in local politics to weaken his chances, a claim the French leader dismissed as “nonsense”.
The Socialist frontrunner had taken a commanding lead in the first round last week with almost 38% of the vote, more than twelve points ahead of Dati, who served as culture minister under Macron.
But Dati's alliance with a centre-right rival and the tactical withdrawal of a far-right challenger looked to have boosted her chances going into the second round, even as Grégoire refused to team up with Chikirou, splitting the left-wing vote.
France’s municipal elections : Emmanuel Grégoire elected Paris mayor
© France 24
00:53
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Far-right leader Marine Le Pen had also called on voters in Paris to oust the left from power – though that call may have been more of a blessing for Grégoire, with the Le Pen brand still toxic to most voters in the French capital.
For Grégoire, Sunday's resounding victory provides vindication of his decision not to ally with Chikirou's France Unbowed, whose radical rhetoric has alienated many moderate voters – and possibly cost the left victories elsewhere in France.
'Inner wound'
A discreet politician who has worked behind the scenes both in government and at City Hall, Grégoire has vowed to pursue the capital’s green revolution and improve public housing in the densely populated city of 2 million people that is grappling with a housing crisis.
As heir to Hidalgo, he will also face a public angered by roadwork disruptions, mounting debt and a scandal involving child sexual abuse allegations by school monitors in nursery and primary schools.
Grégoire, who has promised to improve the recruitment and training of school monitors in Paris, has spoken publicly about being a victim of sexual abuse in an after-school swimming programme for several months when he was in primary.
“I have long carried in me an inner wound,” he said last year, adding that he hoped telling his story might encourage children to speak out.
The incoming mayor has promised a leadership style “closely connected to the people” and has sought to distance himself from Hidalgo's style of governance, which critics described as abrasive, even as he promises to embrace and continue much of her legacy.
Socialist incumbent defeats far-right challenger in key Marseille mayoral election
Left-wing incumbent Benoît Payan was comfortably re-elected mayor of France's second city Marseille on Sunday, holding off a challenge from far-right candidate Franck Allisio, projections from several pollsters showed.
Issued on: 22/03/202
FRANCE 24
Marseille's left‑wing incumbent Mayor Benoît Payan easily beat his far-right rival Frank Allisio in France's mayoral elections, two exit polls showed on Sunday.
The far‑right National Rally (RN), Allisio's party, had targeted France's second-largest city to show it could build electoral momentum ahead of next year's presidential race, and failing to win Marseille's city hall is a major setback for the party.
Payan had warned earlier this month that Marseille falling into the hands of the far right would be "an earthquake for the country".
The two candidates were neck-and-neck in the first round last Sunday, providing RN party with a once-unthinkable shot at power in France's second-largest city.
But the far right’s chances took a hit when hard-left candidate Sébastien Delogu of France Unbowed (LFI) withdrew from the second round, out of concern that splitting the left’s vote could help the National Rally.
Third-placed Martine Vassal of the mainstream right, in contrast, remained in the race, splitting the right-wing vote in Sunday’s runoff.
Famous for its historic port and striking Mediterranean views, Marseille has become the focus of French authorities’ battle with a nationwide surge in cocaine use.
Opinion polls showed security was voters’ top concern ahead of the two-round municipal elections, benefiting the far right and its tough-on-crime rhetoric.
In a bid to bolster his security bona fides, Payan drafted into his campaign Amine Kessaci, a well-known 22-year-old anti-drugs activist who has lost two brothers in drug-related murders.
Official data showed a 4.1% decrease in overall crime in Marseille last year compared to 2024 and police data show drug-related killings have fallen after a peak in 2023. But murders related to drug dealing have shocked residents.
Left-wing incumbent Benoît Payan was comfortably re-elected mayor of France's second city Marseille on Sunday, holding off a challenge from far-right candidate Franck Allisio, projections from several pollsters showed.
Issued on: 22/03/202
FRANCE 24
Marseille's left‑wing incumbent Mayor Benoît Payan easily beat his far-right rival Frank Allisio in France's mayoral elections, two exit polls showed on Sunday.
The far‑right National Rally (RN), Allisio's party, had targeted France's second-largest city to show it could build electoral momentum ahead of next year's presidential race, and failing to win Marseille's city hall is a major setback for the party.
Payan had warned earlier this month that Marseille falling into the hands of the far right would be "an earthquake for the country".
The two candidates were neck-and-neck in the first round last Sunday, providing RN party with a once-unthinkable shot at power in France's second-largest city.
But the far right’s chances took a hit when hard-left candidate Sébastien Delogu of France Unbowed (LFI) withdrew from the second round, out of concern that splitting the left’s vote could help the National Rally.
Third-placed Martine Vassal of the mainstream right, in contrast, remained in the race, splitting the right-wing vote in Sunday’s runoff.
Famous for its historic port and striking Mediterranean views, Marseille has become the focus of French authorities’ battle with a nationwide surge in cocaine use.
Opinion polls showed security was voters’ top concern ahead of the two-round municipal elections, benefiting the far right and its tough-on-crime rhetoric.
In a bid to bolster his security bona fides, Payan drafted into his campaign Amine Kessaci, a well-known 22-year-old anti-drugs activist who has lost two brothers in drug-related murders.
Official data showed a 4.1% decrease in overall crime in Marseille last year compared to 2024 and police data show drug-related killings have fallen after a peak in 2023. But murders related to drug dealing have shocked residents. Benoit Payan, Marseille's incumbent mayor, comfortably saw off a challenge from the far right.
Marseille's left‑wing incumbent Mayor Benoît Payan easily beat his far-right rival Frank Allisio in France's mayoral elections, two exit polls showed on Sunday.
The far‑right National Rally (RN), Allisio's party, had targeted France's second-largest city to show it could build electoral momentum ahead of next year's presidential race, and failing to win Marseille's city hall is a major setback for the party.
Payan had warned earlier this month that Marseille falling into the hands of the far right would be "an earthquake for the country".
The two candidates were neck-and-neck in the first round last Sunday, providing RN party with a once-unthinkable shot at power in France's second-largest city.
But the far right’s chances took a hit when hard-left candidate Sébastien Delogu of France Unbowed (LFI) withdrew from the second round, out of concern that splitting the left’s vote could help the National Rally.
Third-placed Martine Vassal of the mainstream right, in contrast, remained in the race, splitting the right-wing vote in Sunday’s runoff.
Famous for its historic port and striking Mediterranean views, Marseille has become the focus of French authorities’ battle with a nationwide surge in cocaine use.
Opinion polls showed security was voters’ top concern ahead of the two-round municipal elections, benefiting the far right and its tough-on-crime rhetoric.
In a bid to bolster his security bona fides, Payan drafted into his campaign Amine Kessaci, a well-known 22-year-old anti-drugs activist who has lost two brothers in drug-related murders.
Official data showed a 4.1% decrease in overall crime in Marseille last year compared to 2024 and police data show drug-related killings have fallen after a peak in 2023. But murders related to drug dealing have shocked residents.
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