France held its first round of 2026 municipal elections Sunday, with nearly 48.7 million voters participating across 35,000 communities.
In smaller towns, two-thirds are expected to elect mayors outright due to limited competition. Larger cities, however, remain highly contested.
Paris: Socialist Emmanuel Grégoire leads, followed by conservative Rachida Dati. Hard-left Sophia Chikirou and centrist Pierre-Yves Bournazel may advance. Far-right candidate Sarah Knafo nears the 10% threshold.
Marseille and Lyon also face runoffs. In Le Havre, former PM Édouard Philippe secured a strong lead with 43%.
The National Rally (RN) solidified its presence, winning re-elections and leading in southern cities like Nîmes and Toulon. The hard-left France Unbowed made major gains in Roubaix, Lille, and Lyon.
Socialists performed well in urban centers; Republicans succeeded in other regions. In Nice, UDR leader Éric Ciotti outpaced Christian Estrosi.
Alliances now form ahead of next Sunday’s runoff. Jordan Bardella urged right-wing cooperation against the left. Olivier Faure ruled out Socialist-LFI ties. Manuel Bompard called for an anti-fascist front. Gabriel Attal said Renaissance would support neither far-right nor radical left.
In Lyon, France Unbowed’s Anaïs Belouassa-Cherifi could be a kingmaker, open to talks with incumbent Grégory Doucet.
Final negotiations conclude Tuesday at 6 pm. The second round will reshape local power structures and signal national political trends ahead of 2027.