Left leads in Paris, far right eyes gains in France local polls

2026-03-15 - 23:04

French presidential hopeful Edouard Philippe is in the lead to keep his mayor’s seat in the northern city of Le Havre. (AFP pic) PARIS: A Socialist candidate was leading in Paris while the far right looked strong in several southern cities as projections arrived from first-round local elections Sunday seen as a political barometer ahead of France’s presidential polls. According to initial results, a centrist touted as a contender for the 2027 presidential race, Edouard Philippe, was well-placed to remain mayor in the northern city of Le Havre in a second-round local election in a week’s time. The centrist former prime minister, seen as one of the best candidates to take on the far-right National Rally (RN) party in next year’s presidential contest, had made his re-election in the port city a prerequisite of his 2027 campaign. Analysts see the local races as an early indicator of key trends and patterns of tactical voting ahead of the presidential showdown. The RN views next year’s contest as its strongest chance yet to take power, with centrist President Emmanuel Macron stepping down after the maximum two terms in office. The elections in around 35,000 villages, towns and city boroughs are held over two rounds on consecutive Sundays. In more than 90 percent of communes, the mayor was expected to be elected in the first round. But races in many bigger cities were expected to go into second rounds, with parties rushing to strike deals and form alliances. In Paris, Socialist candidate Emmanuel Gregoire was in the lead ahead of former culture minister Rachida Dati, projections from two pollsters indicated. Dati is hoping to wrest control of the city from the left, which has run the French capital for the last quarter-century. The RN was on track to be re-elected in Perpignan, the largest city so far under control of the anti-immigration party, according to a projection by the IPSOS pollster. The far-right party’s candidate was also in the lead in the southern city of Toulon ahead of the incumbent mayor, projections showed. In France’s second city, Marseille, an incumbent left-wing mayor was neck to neck with a far-right candidate. “Change won’t wait for 2027. It starts next Sunday. It starts in seven days,” RN leader Jordan Bardella told supporters. Historically, France’s major cities have been governed either by centre-left parties or the right-wing Republicans. By contrast, the RN, far-left firebrand Jean‐Luc Melenchon’s party and President Emmanuel Macron’s centrists have struggled to establish a strong local footprint. Many mayoral candidates have distanced themselves from political parties, reflecting voters’ exasperation with the elites and the paralysis that has gripped the country since Macron called snap elections in 2024. Pollsters said turnout on Sunday was the country’s lowest, excluding the last local polls in 2020 held during the Covid pandemic. According to estimates from several polling organisations, overall turnout stood at between 56 percent and 58.5 percent, compared to 63.55 percent at the equivalent elections in 2014. The year 2020 aside, “we have reached a record low under the Fifth Republic,” the political system since 1958, Francois Kraus of the IFOP polling institute told AFP. Alliances are expected to be key on Sunday next week. Bardella called on centre-right politicians to join forces with the RN, while Greens leader Marine Tondelier urged left-wing politicians to come together to “eliminate” the right and the far right in the second round.